Despite an 0-3 start to their 2016 Class C South campaign, Boothbay Region High School baseball coach Josh Garneau says hope still springs eternal as he enters his second season as the Seahawks’ skipper.

“I think our team has a lot of potential this year,” said the 25-year-old Garneau, a former college baseball player at the University of Maine at Farmington. “We haven't played very well so far, which is frustrating because I know we are capable of playing a lot better.”

The Seahawks are coming off a 17-0 drubbing April 29 at the hands of Winthrop but despite what the scoreboard reads, Garneau is preaching patience.

“I understand that it has been a while since we have won a game,” he said. “My main goal is to make the environment as enjoyable as possible, keep the players interested and grow the participation in numbers.”

The BRHS baseball team is experiencing a historic run of futility dating back to 2014; a development many in the community blame on a lack of interest at the youth level, a trend that is happening nationally. For Garneau, the lack of player experience is also an opportunity to teach.

“As for teaching the game, a lot of players don't have any experience. We really have to spend excessive time on the basics. Like, how to field a ground ball, proper throwing/hitting mechanics, and game situations,” he said.

The team has been plagued by both mental and physical errors but the hitting has seen steady improvement over the first three games. Sophomore catcher Cameron Crocker leads the team with a .300 batting average and Garneau singled out junior shortstop Carter Babcock, who has missed the first two games, as someone to watch.

“Carter has the chance to be one of the better players in the conference,” he said.

For now, Garneau is stressing fundamentals and mechanics to compensate for his team’s lack of seasoning at the lower levels of youth baseball.

“A team goal is to have no players become ineligible, everybody keep their grades up,” he added. ”I also want every player to grow not only on the baseball field but in the classroom.”

As for turning the short-term fortunes of the team around, he said executing basic plays would allow them to compete in any game, a goal he feels can happen this year.

 “There is nothing harder in sports than trying to hit a baseball. It's a skill that takes repetition over and over to get good at,” he said. “Eventually we'll have experienced kids with a command of the fundamentals.”

The Seahawks’ next scheduled game is on the road Thursday, May 5 at Madison High School.