ORONO, Maine — Two weeks into the America East schedule, things couldn’t be much better for the University of Maine baseball team.
Coming off a three-game sweep of Hartford at Mahaney Diamond, the Black Bears are atop the conference standings with a 7-0 record.
Coach Steve Trimper’s UMaine ballclub (20-14) has rattled off 13 straight wins heading into Wednesday’s 5 p.m. nonleague contest against Division III Bates College of Lewiston.
It is the longest winning streak for UMaine since the Bears won 23 in a row during the 1991 season.
“We’ve won games on this little win streak we’ve got going on, in many different ways,” Trimper said. “We’ve slugged it out, we’ve grinded it out; we’ve put one [run at a time] up, we’ve moved guys around, we stole bases, we got two-out RBIs — every combination.”
UMaine has made hay against the two lower-echelon teams in America East, Hartford and Maryland Baltimore County. As a result, the Bears hold a two-game lead over second-place Stony Brook (24-10 overall, 5-2 AE) and a 2½-game edge over third-place Binghamton (13-14, 4-2 AE).
The Bears expect they’ll have to elevate their level of execution this week when they head back on the road for a four-game series against Binghamton in Ithaca, N.Y.
“We’re rolling pretty well right now and hopefully we can keep those games going for next week and then the week after,” sophomore pitcher D.J. Voisine said.
UMaine continues to work on setting and accomplishing some small, in-game goals that help them focus on the short term. That has also affected the need for each player to contribute unselfishly.
“We played as a team, not as an individual effort [against Hartford], and I think that helped us a lot and got us the wins, so that was good,” said sophomore third baseman Alex Calbick.
The Bearcats had won five straight going into a Tuesday doubleheader at Marist.
Through Sunday, UMaine ranked second in America East batting with a .294 average and was first in runs per game (7.1). Stony Brook leads the way with a .315 average.
The Bears continue to pare down the team earned run average and stand at 5.51, good for third in the conference. The Seawolves boast a sparkling 2.88 ERA, limiting opponents to a .236 batting average.
Morrill, Patzalek sidelined
Two more players were added to the Black Bears’ injury list last week.
Freshman pitcher Luke Morrill of South Thomaston experienced a sore arm three pitches into last Wednesday’s start against Colby College of Waterville and was unable to go on the weekend.
He’ll sit out in the hope the soreness will resolve itself with rest and treatment.
Junior catcher Tyler Patzalek was forced to leave Sunday’s game against Hartford after experiencing back issues.
Patzalek hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning, but was unable to take his at-bat in the fourth because of back pain. He was replaced in the lineup by sophomore Mike Connolly.
Patzalek’s status is day to day.
Twins take some for team
UMaine senior twins Ian Leisenheimer and Justin Leisenheimer continue to demonstrate a propensity for being hit by pitches.
Ian has been plunked 12 times this season to lead the squad and Justin has been hit with a pitch eight times.
Ian continues to hold the upper hand over his brother in the career competition as well. He has been hit by a pitch 41 times in 168 games.
Justin is close behind, having taken 36 for the team in 155 contests over three-plus seasons.
Hartford’s James Alfonso tops America East in that category this season at 14.
“We’ve won games on this little win streak we’ve got going on, in many different ways,” Trimper said. “We’ve slugged it out, we’ve grinded it out; we’ve put one [run at a time] up, we’ve moved guys around, we stole bases, we got two-out RBIs — every combination.”
Not to mention you have played 3 D3 Maine teams and no opponent with a 229 RPI or above during that streak ;)
Check out a live baseball chat during tonight red sox game at redsoxmaineiacs.blogspot.com
This article title should have said ‘Easy” Early Schedule
You take your wins where you find them. Right now we don’t know how good this team is. No team in MLB would have a better record against the same in-conference competition.
Kudos to Nostrajimus for making sure that we all know that:
Colby, Husson, and Bates are Division 3 schools.
The America East Conference is not the SEC.
On Maine’s winning streak, they haven’t beaten a really strong opponent.
Mere mortals, like us, are not astute enough to know any of those things.
Clearly, none of us have had any idea of how important Nostrajimus is. I just wish he’d reveal himself (or maybe herself), so that we all could pay proper homage.
I am the son of NostraDonus & NostraJanus :) ;)
Maybe next year Trimper will have the sack to scheudle St Joe’s or USM, who he has been avoiding since USM spanked UMO back in 2007 13-7. Ouch!!!!!!!!!!
so let me get this right Maine should drop schools like Husson, bates and Colby and schedule teams like Wichita state, cal state Fullerton , FSU and other schools that are in a lot tougher conference . I think that’s what nostra is trying to say is that maine shouldn’t schedule cupcakes well i dont think Trimper or Abbott cares what nostra thinks, Here’s an Idea i will set up a time at trimper’s office and get Abbott so that we can go over the scheduling of the games.
I’ll be there, but in the meantime just stop avoiding the D3 programs like St Joe’s & USM that can beat ‘The U’, ok???????????????????????
they beat Clemson