Haddam-Killingworth baseball coach Mark Brookes wins his first title in Class S

MIDDLETOWN – Haddam-Killingworth baseball coach Mark Brookes has over 700 wins, the second most by a high school baseball coach in Connecticut.

But he never had a state championship – until Friday night.

After going 0-5 in H-K’s previous five championship games, Brookes finally got his title, after the Cougars beat Coventry 6-2 in the Class S state final at Palmer Field for Brookes’ 743rd victory.

Brookes started the baseball program at Haddam-Killingworth in 1977 and went to the final in 1981, 1982, 1986, 2012 and in 2014, when the Cougars lost 4-3 to Rocky Hill in the Class M championship game.

The Cougars finally won the big game Friday, as many of the former players who had been there before them cheered for them in the stands.

“It’s good for the school, it’s good for the kids,” said Brookes, who retired from teaching in 2011. “It’s nice to be in this final again and to win it, is … exceptional. I’m very happy for them for them first and all the kids that went before.”

H-K senior pitcher Callen Powers had 10 strikeouts and junior Luke Mauri had a two-run double in the second inning, when the Cougars scored four runs. They got two more runs in the fourth.

“We’re so happy to get it done for Coach,” Powers said. “He deserves this so much. He got one and we’re so happy he got one – and there’s more to come.”

Fourth-seeded Coventry (19-7) did not help its cause by making five errors.

“I’ve played in enough of these games in two sports – you never know what you’re going to get,” said Coventry baseball coach Ryan Giberson, who also coaches volleyball at the school. “All year, we played really well. We got outpitched. They put the ball in play and we didn’t make plays. Their starter did a heck of a job.

“We don’t come in looking to lose, obviously – you come in trying to win the game – but you have to be happy for the guy.”

Brookes got a physical education teaching job at Haddam-Killingworth in 1975 and started the baseball program the next year but the Cougars played a junior varsity schedule. Their first official season was 1977.

They made it to the final in 1981 and lost to Griswold, 11-2. They lost to Granby 3-2 the next year in the Class S championship. In 1986, they lost to Canton 4-0 in Class S. Then there was a long drought but Brookes was back with his team in 2012. The Cougars lost to Plainville 3-1 in Class M.

The last time was 2014. They were four outs away from a Class M title. And they lost 4-3 to Rocky Hill.

The losses, Brookes said, don’t keep him up at night.

“There’s been all kinds of ways we’ve failed to get it,” he said wryly, as he watched his team celebrate. “I let it go. I can sleep.”

And his wife Raye, who goes to every game with him? She can’t sleep.

“No, I can’t,” Raye said. “We all wanted it so bad. He works so hard every year.”

The game started an hour late due to a thunderstorm that moved through the area at 6:15. The groundskeepers had to dry the field and the game began at 8:01.

Coventry scored in the first inning when Nate Cordner singled and scored on an error by Powers and a wild pitch. Aiden Hecht singled, reached second on a passed ball, stole third and came home on a single by Mason Godi in the second to put the Patriots up 2-0.

But the HK bats came alive in the bottom of the second when Coon reached second on an error by left fielder Nathan Spear, went to third on a fielders choice and scored on an error by shortstop Evan Menzel. Mauri drove home two more runs with a double and scored on a fielders choice to make it 4-2,Haddam-Killingworth.

The Cougars got two more runs in the fourth when Mauri walked, stole second, reached third on a wild pitch and scored on an error by second baseman Hecht. Powers reached on the error and scored on a single by Todd Butler to give HK a 6-2 lead.

“We knew we had to come get it,” Mauri said. “It’s his first one ever. It means everything to us. We went out and got it. Rough start at the beginning but we pulled through.”