DAGSBORO — When Indian River High School senior pitcher Trevor Abbott stepped on the mound as a freshman, coach Howard Smack knew he had talent.

After dedicating four years to the sport and working to develop his skills, Smack said Abbott’s abilities are apparent.

“I’m going to miss him,” he said. “He’s like a son and he loves baseball with a passion. You just don’t get a Trevor Abbott every day. He’s a workaholic and when he comes to practice, he comes to work.”

After graduation, Abbott plans to take his show on the road to Salisbury University, where he hopes to walk on the team and earn a spot in the pitching staff. The Seagulls boasted a 41-4 record this season and lost in the Division III South Region Championship to Johns Hopkins University.

This season, however, Abbott was 8-0 in the regular season and got the ball in the opening round state tournament game against Newark High School. Through hard work and dedication, Abbott said he has grown into a successful pitcher.

“From a young (age), my brother always played and my dad got me (started),” he said. “I’ve played football and a lot of other sports, but baseball has always been by far my favorite.”

Two of his little league teams claimed state championships, but his fondest baseball memory came in his sophomore season at IR. In a first round game against Brandywine High School, Abbott pitched the final six innings of an extra-inning win over the Bulldogs. In addition to earning the win, he also had the game winning hit in the ninth inning.

While that is Abbott’s most memorable moment, Smack has another. This year, in the May 14 win over Polytech High School, Abbott struck out 18 batters. The number was significant because Smack told Abbott he would never reach his own record of 19 strike outs. While he was unable to reach his coach’s number, he secured the Henlopen Conference championship with the win.

While Abbott is widely known as a dominant south paw on the mound, he also played football throughout high school. As a tight end on the football field, he often had the glory of scoring a touchdown. When it comes down to it, he said he prefers to play baseball.

“I’ll be honest, you can’t get much better than Friday night lights in football,” he said. “But the everyday aspects of baseball is what makes it great. Football was fun, but sometimes practice was not.”

In addition to pitching for the high school team, Abbott also plays for the American Legion Post 28 team. He hopes the year-round work ethic will lead to constant improvement, he said.

Despite harder competition, Smack believes nothing can get in Abbott’s way.

“If he carries the same work ethic he uses here and has a willingness to learn, I think the sky is the limit,” he said. “College is a little different, but I think he’ll be able to handle it.”

nroth@dmg.gannett.com 302-537-1881, Ext. 206