When he had the opportunity to join SigEp, Dale Plummer, Maine ’87, made the choice quickly. “Every time I visited the house to see members who hailed from my hometown of Bath, they always said SigEp is where you belong and always showed me a great time.” The enthusiastic welcome at Maine Alpha made him feel comfortable and accepted at the house, which would soon become his home away from home.

SigEp allowed Dale to grow in his teamwork, communication, and work ethic. That experience eventually helped him through challenging situations in the locker room, on the team bus, in dugouts, at practice, and at games. “SigEp helped me learn that athletics are about team first, individual second.” Dale initially attended the University of Maine to play football but realized the opportunity to compete in the program was limited. He decided to try out for the baseball team as a walk-on in the spring of 1984. “I dedicated 100% of my focus to being an asset to the nationally acclaimed program.” He played for Maine for the next four years.

Dale’s interest in baseball began when he was around 4 or 5 years old. “I played in organized and competitive Little League and Babe Ruth organizations with great junior high and high school coaches.” His early competitive experiences led to future opportunities that he could only dream of as a young baseball player. The New York Mets drafted Dale in the 23rd round of the 1988 MLB Amateur Draft. He went on to play five seasons in Triple-A, his last with the Pawtucket Red Sox in 1995. He was called up to the Boston Red Sox that May but could not accept the call to play in the major leagues due to an injury. He began his professional coaching career in 1996 and was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010.

In 1995, Dale founded Professional Baseball Experience. “I knew quite a bit about baseball because I had learned from the best coaches in the profession,” he said. “My goal was to pass that information along to anyone who wanted to learn and to provide a safe, competitive environment to instruct on the finer details of the game.” Dale recently secured a new position as the athletic equipment and operations coordinator at Bates College. “My favorite part of coaching is sharing knowledge of the game that can make someone a better and more competitive player,” he shared. “Whatever I pass along can be used in their career or to prepare them to coach others.”

Dale lives in Richmond, Maine, on no other than Baseball Lane. His wife, Kim, has taught kindergarten for more than 30 years. The couple has two daughters; Jamie is a physical therapist in Virginia, and Julie is a health and wellness advocate in Augusta. Reflecting on the life he and his family have built, Dale observed, “We are fortunate to live on Pleasant Pond, where we fish as much as possible, cheer on the Boston Sports teams, and enjoy our privacy and peace.”

This article is shared from the Maine Alpha newsletter in the Alumni Communications Program.