Matt Woodmansee may be young in terms of age, but in terms of baseball maturity, he’s a proven veteran. The 16-year-old catcher was an integral part in the unexpected success and state title run of the first-year Bedford Post No. 54 junior American Legion team.

In fact, Woodmansee, who dislocated a finger on his right hand, not only played through the injury, but excelled with his mitt and his bat. “He’s the toughest kid on the team,” said Bedford’s manager, Tim Conway. “He played hurt, and yet all the big hits seemed to come with Matt at the plate.”

In the state semifinals on Aug. 5, facing No. 1 seed Dover, Woodmansee notched a game-tying RBI triple. Two innings later, he pushed the go-ahead run across the plate. Bedford won that contest, 5-2. Two days later, Woodmansee tallied an RBI and crossed the plate twice as Post No. 54 beat Dover again – 10-0 – for the state championship. Bedford’s ace pitcher, Rob Hunt of Goffstown, credited his batterymate for both personal and team success.

“He definitely helped me out a lot with big blocks when we need it, and his bat was hot all tournament,” said Hunt. “He’s a solid all-around player, and he’s exactly what you want in a catcher. He’s a good kid, and he’ll continue to do really well for as long as he plays.”

For his clutch hitting and his defensive prowess as the team’s backstop, Woodmansee has been named the Indian Head Athletics Athlete of the Month for August. Still, Woodmansee credits his manager and teammates for putting him in a position to succeed.

“It was different for me because I haven’t usually been a big hitter in the past ... I’m not a power guy,” he said. “But I was lucky because they put me in the five hole, and I knew I was going to get some good pitches behind Rob (Hunt) and Andrew Klimm. Those guys are our big bats, and they got on base and allowed me to drive them home.”

Even more enjoyable than his personal performance, added Woodmansee, was his team’s accomplishments: a 10-game winning streak and semifinal-round appearance at the regional tournament in Rhode Island.

“At the beginning of year, we were definitely expecting to do well, but no one really thought we would get as far as we did,” he said. “We meshed, and that helped a lot. If we can keep this same group of guys together, we’ll be tough to beat again next year.”

(Editor’s note: The Athlete of the Month receives a $50 gift certificate courtesy of Indian Head Athletics.)