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This spring was a thriller for SouthCoast baseball teams as Apponequet made a historic run to the program’s first-ever state final appearance and Fairhaven reached the Div. 3 Elite 8 while Old Colony made it to the Div. 4 Sweet 16.
Of the area’s nine teams, seven — Apponequet, Bishop Stang Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Old Colony, Old Rochester and Wareham  — qualified for the 2026 MIAA playoffs.

Apponequet and Fairhaven won their respective division titles in the South Coast Conference while Old Colony won the Mayflower Athletic Conference title.
It’s time to shine a spotlight on the SouthCoast athletes that stood out this spring.
Before we announce our super teams, we need more help from our readers to help choose our Player of the Year in each sport. Like our polls from this past winter and fall, the list has been narrowed down to the most elite athletes in the area.
Vote for the SouthCoast High School Baseball Player of the Year below. Reader votes will make up 25% of the tally, with Sports Editor Laurie Los Lee making up the rest of the vote.

Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by school.
Voting will conclude at 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 5.
Kanakis came up clutch for the Lakers (20-5) as they made a historic run to their first state final appearance. On the mound, he had 3 saves and 1 win as he pitched in all five games in the state tournament. He also knocked in the winning run in extra innings in a thrilling walk-off win over Hanover in the state semifinals. For the season, Kanakis, an SCC All-Star, went 7-1 on the mound with 71 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.67 as Apponequet won the South Coast Conference Blue Division championship. When he wasn’t pitching, Kanakis was playing third base.

A junior, Cartagena was a force at the plate, helping the Spartans qualify for the Div. 2 playoffs. He batted .518 with 29 hits, including 6 doubles, 1 triple and 3 home runs. He also had 21 RBIs, 20 runs scored and 18 stolen bases with an on-base percentage of .627. Cartagena was named a Catholic Central League All-Star.
Lamontagne had a big season on the mound and at the plate, leading the Blue Devils to the South Coast Conference Gold Division championship and a rare trip to the Div. 3 Elite 8. On the mound, Lamontagne went 4-0 with 3 saves. He pitched 38 innings, allowing 12 walks with 55 strikeouts for an ERA of 1.09. At the plate, the senior three-sport athlete batted .382 with 26 hits, including 5 doubles and 1 triple. He also had 20 RBIs and 15 runs scored while helping turn 5 double plays on defense. Lamontagne was named the South Coast Conference MVP.

VOTE: SouthCoast Softball Player of the Year for 2026
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A three-year varsity starter at shortstop, Deree had a fielding percentage of .962 with only 3 errors while turning 6 double plays as the Cougars won the Mayflower Athletic Conference title, Mass State Vocational Small School championship and reached the MIAA Div. 4 Sweet 16. The junior also pitched 69 ⅔ innings, allowing 11 earned runs with 13 walks and 42 strikeouts for a 1.209 ERA, leading to his 5 wins on the mound. At the plate, Deree, a Mayflower League All-Star, batted .373 with a team-high 31 hits, including 9 doubles and 1 triple. He also had 20 runs scored and 21 RBIs.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Vote for the SouthCoast Baseball Player of the Year for 2026
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