Contributions from Little East Conference
GORHAM, Maine – Named the 2015 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Gold Bat Award Winner, given to the NCAA Division III National Player of the Year, University of Southern Maine shortstop Sam Dexter '16 finished his outstanding career as a Husky student-athlete as one of the finest baseball players in program history.
Winning nearly award available during his time as a member of the Huskies' baseball team, Dexter was a two-time All-American at shortstop was inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame in 2022. Drafted by Major League Baseball's Chicago White Sox in 2016, Dexter is still playing professionally, and is in his fifth season with the Fargo-Moorhead (North Dakota) RedHawks of the American Association, an independent professional baseball league. Now nearly eight years into his professional playing career, Dexter has been chosen for induction into the 2024 Little East Conference Hall of Fame. Dexter is the fourth Husky baseball player to be named to the LEC Hall of Fame joining former standouts Tyler Delorme '04; Mike McCullum '05, and Tucker White '17.
The Little East Conference is inducting 10 individuals and one team as part of its 2024 Hall of Fame class. Members are nominated by their alma maters and voted upon by the league's nine Athletic Directors, and includes individuals representing each Little East institution. Dexter is joined by former USM track & field and field hockey standout Peyton Dostie Collins '16 for the year's induction. Additionally, the Huskies' 1988-1989 men's basketball team will be inducted. The University of Southern Maine Department of Athletics will honor Dexter during the 2024-2025 academic year at a time to be determined.
Dexter started his career in 2013 leading the Huskies to the NCAA Division III World Series, helping the Huskies' capture the NCAA Division III Regional Championship in a 5-2 come-from-behind win over Endicott College with a two-run homerun in the top of the ninth inning. After his sensational rookie season, Dexter was named the Rookie of the Year by NEIBA, ECAC, D3Baseball New England, and Little East Conference, and earned the first of his four first team All-LEC picks at shortstop.
As a sophomore, Dexter earned All-New England honors from the ECAC, NEIBA and D3baseball and was named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament team after hitting .382 with 81 hits in 212 at-bats with 33 RBI and a .948 fielding percentage.
As a junior in 2015, Dexter put together one of the finest overall seasons by a Husky baseball player en route to being named the Division III Player of the Year. Dexter hit a career-best .441 with 82 hits in 186 at-bats with 57 runs scored, 44 RBI, 21 doubles, 11 stolen bases and another .948 fielding percentage. Recognized for his outstanding play, Dexter earned first team All-American honors from both the ABCA and D3baseball.com and was named the Little East Conference, ECAC, D3baseball.com New England, and NEIBA Player of the Year.
As a senior, Dexter continued to add to his accolades repeating as a first team ABCA and D3baseball.com All-American, and earning D3baseball.com and Little East Conference Player of the Year honors, among several other accolades. Hitting .404 and collecting 53 hits in 178 at-bats, Dexter became just the second Division III player to reach 300 career hits – a milestone he achieved on May 1 in a 12-8, 15-5 (8 inning) doubleheader sweep over Framingham State during the Huskies' Senior Day games. Dexter finished the doubleheader 8-for-11 at the plate with three RBI, meeting the 300-hit mark with a third-inning double to left center in game two of the sweep.
Named first team All-Decade by D3baseball.com, Dexter earned his bachelor's degree in History from Southern Maine in 2016, and then went on to earn his Master's degree in Leadership Studies in 2022.
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