STANDISH — After surviving a pair of heart-stopping one-run games to get to the regional championship, Dirigo made quick work of the team that figured to be its biggest obstacle to defending its Class C championship, St. Dom’s, in Thursday’s Western Maine final. 

If the 15-3 blowout served to relieve some of the mounting pressure of defending their state title, the Cougars weren’t about to acknowledge it.

Pressure? What pressure?

“I don’t think we felt any,” senior first baseman T.J. Frost said. “We talked at practice about last year’s team and what it took to win, but I wouldn’t say we’ve really felt the pressure.”

The Cougars, who have won two of the last three state titles and have several players with extensive playoff experience in other sports, know reigning champions have more important things to worry about than expectations, be they their own or someone else’s.

“Everyone is out to get you no matter what. They’re going to show you their best game every time,” senior shortstop Hunter Ross said.

The Cougars (17-2) may be in for their best game yet when they encounter Eastern C champion Stearns (2 p.m. Saturday, Mansfield Stadium in Bangor).The Minutemen (17-2) have won 15 in a row, including Thursday’s 1-0 regional final over Bucksport.

Stearns, seeking its first state title since 2000, is led by senior Jordan Morrow, a Mr. Baseball finalist. A right-hander, Morrow worked the first three innings Thursday as part of a pitching-by-committee approach employed by Stearns coach Ryan Carrier and is eligible to pitch Saturday. He threw 37 pitches, striking out three and walking one.

Kyle McVey, who pitched the final four innings to complete the shutout, will not be available to pitch, but sophomore Nick Dumas, who has typically been the closer in Carrier’s plan, will be.

Dirigo coach Ryan Palmer thought he might have to form a pitching committee this year, too. Last year, the Cougars were able to ride a workhorse in Ben Holmes to the title. They didn’t expect to have that luxury this year, but hoped some dependable arms would emerge. Kaine Hutchins, Thursday’s winning pitcher, and Chad Snowman, who picked up the win in relief in their 7-6 semifinal win over Hall-Dale, have done just that.

“We didn’t know if we had someone to step up and pitch the big game,” Palmer said. “We’ve gotten very, very good pitching toward the end of the season. Kaine has been on. Chad Snowman has finally come around. He’s been on. This time of year, if you can get two good pitchers that are on, we’re tough to beat with our offense.”

That offense has been very formidable, averaging 10.3 runs per game, even though it rarely clicked on all cylinders. With all nine starters scoring at least once on Thursday, the Cougars showed how explosive they can be when it is.

“We started the season with either the top of the lineup would hit and the bottom of the lineup wouldn’t, or the bottom of the lineup would get something going and the top of the lineup would end it,” senior leadoff hitter T.J. Frost said. “One through nine (against St. Dom’s), we hit. It’s a good feeling.”

Frost, one of the holdovers from last year’s team, is a key at the top of the lineup, Palmer said.

“When T.J. Frost leads off the game and gets on base, good things happen,” Palmer said.

The speedy combo of Frost and No. 2 hitter Ross set the table for the more lumbering but more lumber-wielding duo of Snowman and Tyler Frost in the middle of the lineup.

“There’s nobody better than those two in the 3-4 spot,” Palmer said. “When T.J. and Hunter get on at the top, you know we’re going to score a run because, No. 1, we’re going to run, and secondly, we have the ability to hit-and-run if we have to because Chad and Tyler are going to get the bat on the ball.”

Junior DH Jack Brown got the bat on the ball to the tune of three hits and four RBIs on Thursday. He gives the Cougars’ lineup enviable depth and versatility, along with Hutchins, seniors Brett Whittemore and Spencer Trenoweth and junior Brian Volkernick.

“Our lineup, we can do anything,” Palmer said. “If we have to play small-ball, we can play small-ball. If we need a fly ball to get a sac fly, we’ll drop our back shoulder, make sure the ball gets into the air in the outfield. Right now, we feel like we have our best lineup, one through nine.”

They will find out if it is enough to make them the best in the state on Saturday.