Daniel French takes the mound against New Hampshire Technical Institute in the YSCC Championship game from the 2013 season.

Jacob Loveridge battles it out under the boards against Eastern Maine Community College.

Jacob Loveridge sets up with interior position as Jose Nouchanthavong looks inside.

By The Beacon Sports Staff

With the start of a new academic year, new dreams and aspirations for success on the baseball and softball diamonds, the soccer pitch, the basketball court and even golf links begin to formulate in the minds of the student athletes. There has to be a certain level of satisfaction that accompanies working towards your own personal goals, making the team, contributing and playing well in order for the team to succeed. From the moment the student athlete steps on campus their focus is on training in order to win. It is a valid definition of success, but it is only one definition and maybe even a flawed one.

If success has a few definitions, maybe even more than a few, one of those definitions probably has to do with sustaining your playing career. Regardless of how many victories you are a part of, the number of championships you won – or could have won – there is something extra special about keeping your dream of playing actively alive.

Jacob Loveridge, who came to SMCC from Chertsey England and played 3 seasons on the men’s basketball team, signed with the Surrey Scorchers of the British Basketball League (BBL). Last season Jacob played for the Division III Thames Valley Cavaliers who are in the European Basketball League, based in the UK.

Jacob, who is a class of 2014 Seawolve alumnus, shared the court with teammates such as: Westbrook native Jose Nouchanthavong, Veteran Scott Proudman and 2015 graduate Atencio Martin.

Jacob will bring a skill set and knowledge base that was developed here while playing in the highly competitive Yankee Small College Conference to the British Basketball League when he takes the court as a Surrey Scoarcher. In a recent Surrey Scorcher press release announcing Jacob’s signing, he stated, “I am excited to be back home playing for Coach Creon and the Scorchers…and am focused on improving my level of play and am excited to see what the season has in store for myself and the team.”  Loveridge’s journey started in 2007 when he signed with the Heat Juniors at the age of 14, and featured in the BBL squad on numerous occasions. The league is composed of 12 teams, which are located in England and Scotland. The BBL’s season tips off on September 18th.

To follow Jacob and the Scorchers, a Surrey Scorchers Google search will take you to their web site where you’ll find streamed Scorchers games, their Twitter link, Facebook page, be able to sign up to their newsletter and shop for Scorcher items.

This summer saw SMCC alumnus Daniel French, who pitched on the 2011-2013 Seawolves baseball team, throw professionally for Newburgh Newts, Newburgh New York, who play in the newly formed North Country Baseball Independent League.  Daniel’s pitching stats for the Newt’s read as: 25.3 innings pitched, facing 127 batters, allowing 17 runs that earned him a 0.67 run average, allowed 14 earned runs which left him with a 4.97 earned run average over 9 innings, struck out 8, gave up 27 hits, walked 17, hit 5 batters, and gave up 1 long ball while stranding 32 base runners.  The Newburgh Newts won the inaugural season of the North County Professional Baseball League this September when they swept the Watertown Bucks in the best out of 3.

Daniel left SMCC with a 15-9 record, walking away with a 3.42 ERA after pitching 159 innings. Daniel is currently SMCC Seawolves pitching coach who has seen the upside of a championship season as he pitched in the YSCC championship game against New Hampshire Technical Institute in 2013. After the SMCC bats gave Daniel a 4 run lead in the bottom of the 1st, Daniel cruised to a complete game allowing 3 hits and fanning 4. Daniel earned Most Valuable Player for the tournament.

Daniel follows 2007 graduate Anthony D’Alfonso as the second SMCC alumnus to play professional. Anthony played for seven years in the Frontier League, which is an independent North American League and in Mexico.

Thanks to the SMCC Athletics Department, The YSCC, The Surry Scorchers, the Newburgh Newts and the North Country Professional Baseball League for their statistical archives.