When the Southeast Midget Twins went looking for a new Head Coach, their search came right back around to home plate. 

Announced Friday morning by the team, Trent Dorrance will take over the position from Blaine Kovach. Dorrance has served as Assistant Coach with the organization in addition to his duties as Head Coach of the bantam Southeast A's, out of Alameda.

"It's very exciting, I'm really happy to get chosen for the role," he said, "Blaine's a tough act to follow, but I've coached with him the last couple years so I plan on continuing down the same path as to what he was coaching and his techniques. I think it's going to be a great group of kids going forward."

In filling Kovach's shoes, Dorrance added that he envisions a return to the fundamentals, with the plan a bit of a carry over from his style with the bantam A's. He's looking forward to honing the team's pitching and solidifying the defense, while watching the batting step up. That being said, he knows the game will be different.

"There's a bit of transition involved...the bantam league has a smaller diamond, you coach a little bit differently with the big diamond, the players are that much bigger and stronger. You just have to kind of look at what you have and go according to that. Even though it's one age group different, the pace and the rate of the game is quite a bit different."

As he steps away to pursue other opportunities in the world of baseball, Blaine Kovach has complete confidence that his replacement will knock it out of the park.

"Trent's a great baseball mind, he's a great person, and I have nothing but respect for him. He's been Assistant Coach with us the last few years and he's seen how I like to approach things and how things get done. With his mind in baseball and how he is personally, the Twins are in very good hands, he'll do great things."

"He's been a part of pretty much everything that Kent (Phillips, Assistant Coach) and I have been doing with the program for the last four years, and he'll just fit right in. There won't be much of a transition, if any. I don't think he'll have any issues at all," he added, "All the great things that he's done with the Southeast A's organization in the bantam program, it's just going to transfer. More and more kids now are going to want to come out and try out for the Twins. Best of luck to the Twins in the 2019 season and good luck to Trent. I'm going to be there rooting for them as much as I can."

With Dorrance stepping away and up after four years, it's the Southeast A's turn to seek a new Head Coach for their 5th season as a team.

"I'm going to be sticking around and helping them as much as I can, because I think there's great potential in that team as well. (But) I'm looking for a couple good coaches that can take over," he noted, "(They should be) someone with a lot of energy, and quite a bit of knowledge of the game, that can take kids that are a little bit green and convert them into ballplayers that can compete with the best in the province."

Dorrance will also be looking for Assistant Coaches to come alongside on the Twins bench ahead of the season.