University of Maine baseball coach Steve Trimper admitted that he was “very disappointed” with his team’s 20-35 season, its third straight losing campaign.
However, he is already looking forward to next season because he has high expectations thanks to a quality freshman class this season and what he thinks could be one of his best incoming recruiting classes.
“I am super pumped to get going,” said the 46-year-old Trimper, who will be in his 12th year at Maine next year after signing a three-year contract extension in April. “I expect great things next year. We’ll have the pieces to make a really good run.”
This past spring, the Black Bears were plagued by an anemic offense that hit just .254 and was held to two runs or less 23 times.
A lack of timely hitting and a failure to consistently execute bunts and hit-and-runs were key factors in their 7-16 record in games decided by two runs or less.
After losing three of his top four hitters off his 2014 team, Trimper was relying on seniors Brett Chappell, Brenden Geary and Kevin Stypukowski to be the offensive catalysts and all three had sub-par seasons.
Outfielder-designated hitter Chappell, a .315 hitter with 38 RBIs in 2015, slumped to .251 this season with 21 RBIs. First baseman Geary, who hit a solid .280 a year ago with 20 RBIs, wound up at .260 with 15 RBIs and catcher Stypulkowski fell from .254 to .249.
However, the Black Bears’ three leading hitters were all freshmen and were selected to the America East All-Rookie team.
Third baseman Danny Casals hit .310 and led the team in stolen bases with 12 and triples with four. Left fielder Colin Ridley led the team in RBIs with 42 and shared the team lead in homers with Stypulkowski with six. He hit .299. Shortstop Jeremy Pena hit .283, stole 11 bases and had 10 doubles while leading the team in runs scored with 36.
All three shone in their first America East Tournament as Ridley and Pena each went 5-for-12 (.417) and Casals hit .333 with three RBIs.
Transfer Tyler Schwanz, the Black Bears’ right fielder, had a respectable first season. He hit .267 with five homers, a team-leading 19 doubles and 25 RBIs.
Slick-fielding sophomore second baseman Caleb Kerbs (.227) and junior center fielder Lou Della Fera (.225) will have to hit better to play regularly.
Three junior college transfers from Florida could figure prominently next season.
Chris Bec from Miami Dade Community College and Jonathan Bennett from Gulf Coast State College, will fill the vacant catching slot and they can also play other positions.
“Jonah is one of the best hitters I’ve recruited the last three to four years,” said Trimper.
Brandon Vicens, Bec’s Miami Dade CC teammate, is a speedy center fielder with leadoff capabilities and pop in his bat.
All three were chosen to all-star teams.
Incoming freshman outfielder-DH Hernan Sardinas and redshirt sophomore first baseman Chris Garabedian, who hit .247 with five homers and 20 RBIs two years ago but missed this season because he was academically ineligible, could also figure in next year’s lineup. Infielder PJ McDonald, an incoming freshman, is another possibility.
The pitching staff compiled an underwhelming 4.69 ERA and was hurt by an injury to sophomore Justin Courtney.
Bangor’s Courtney (2-3, 4.30 earned run average) threw just one inning over the final seven weeks due to tendinitis in his throwing shoulder after being a Freshman All-American in 2015 when he was 5-6 with a 3.24 ERA.
Senior Logan Fullmer will be missed.
He went from closer to starter and was a first team All-AE selection (4-2, 2.55).
Sophomore John Arel (3-9, 3.94) pitched a masterful eight-inning, two-hitter in Maine’s 11-1 elimination-game win over UMBC and was chosen to the all-tourney team.
Arel and a healthy Courtney could supply Maine with a solid one-two punch at the top of the rotation.
Redshirt sophomore Chris Murphy (0-4, 6.05) showed some positive glimpses after coming off Tommy John surgery 15 months ago but walked an eye-opening 45 in just 41 ⅔ innings. He also struck out 54 and allowed only 29 hits.
Trimper expects Murphy to regain the good control he had in high school.
A youthful bullpen had some growing pains but there were plenty of bright spots and it should improve with the maturation of the returnees and the influx of incoming arms.
Sophomores Jonah Normandeau (1-2, 4.50) and Connor Johnson (4-3, 4.10) and freshmen Eddie Emerson (2-2, 4.76) and Nick Silva (3-3, team-leading 5 saves, 5.89) all received valuable experience and should be even more effective next season.
Trimper feels he will have “six quality arms” in his freshman class led by Bangor High lefty Trevor DeLaite.
“Trevor will have a great chance to crack the rotation right away,” said Trimper. “He has command of four pitches, he knows how to pitch inside and he has one of the best young [pitching] minds I’ve ever seen.”
Power righty Sam McCarthy, rated as the top pitcher in New Hampshire by the Perfect Game scouting service, and redshirt freshman Zach Winn, a 22nd-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers who missed all of last season due to arm surgery, will also vie for a spot in the rotation.
Brewer’s Matt Pushard and Bingham’s Cody Laweryson will be bullpen options along with Ryan Worthington and Matt Geoffrion. Pushard will also get a look at first base.