ORONO, Maine — Chris Bec and Jonah Normandeau are two of the seniors on this year’s University of Maine baseball team.
Both hope to play important roles this week for the Black Bears, who are hosting the America East baseball tournament for the first time in 14 years at Mahaney Diamond in Orono.
UMaine (18-32) is the fifth seed and plays fourth seed Stony Brook (12-12) in the tourney opener on Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Mahaney Diamond.
[America East baseball tournament gets underway Wednesday at UMaine]
Chris Bec, a junior catcher, has increased his power at the plate this season. Senior Jonah Normandeau of Cumberland has shaken off a significant arm injury to contribute coming out of the bullpen.
Normandeau has pitched only seven innings this season, but that’s seven more than a lot of people expected him to throw. He is doing so with a torn rotator cuff (shoulder) and a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow.
“He’s a big motivating factor in the clubhouse … to see a guy battle through so many injuries and keep coming back and give us all he has motivates us,” said UMaine junior Danny Casals.
Normandeau, who suffered a UCL tear earlier in his career, has made eight appearances this season and hasn’t allowed a run — even though he rarely breaks 84 mph.
“Not only is he dealing with the adversity of his arm injuries, he is brought in during the toughest situations — bases loaded, men on second and third — and he does the job,” Bec said.
[ UMaine junior enjoys power surge at plate after recovering from surgery]
Normandeau, whose 66 innings pitched as a starter were second on the team in 2017 when he compiled a 2-6 record with a 4.36 earned run average.
“It’s for the team. I’m not trying to be a hero or anything. I just want to finish out my career,” Normandeau said.
“Probably not a lot of people would pitch (with my injuries) but I’ve had a lot of injuries my entire life, so I’m used to the disappointment side of it and how to mentally come back from it.”
When asked if he was in pain, Normandeau showed a sly grin and said, “No, of course not. I’ll be all right.”
Normandeau, who was told that he would not be able to pitch at all this season, has altered his delivery to throw sidearm, which takes the strain off his shoulder.
“He’s a warrior,” said UMaine coach Nick Derba. “He throws strikes and is a big time change of pace for us. We try to keep him at 81 or 82 miles an hour because he throws more strikes and it’s hard for hitters to sit on pitches (that slow).”
Bec had a terrific junior season in 2017. He was an All-America East second-team selection after leading the Black Bears in hitting (.340), doubles (20), on-base percentage (.426) and stolen bases (15), the latter of which is rare for a catcher.
“That’s been part of my game ever since I was a little kid,” said Bec. “I’m not scared to steal. I focus on the pitcher’s timing … how many seconds it takes him to get the ball to the plate.”
After hitting only one home run last year, Bec wanted to hit for more power this season. His eight homers rank second on the team behind Casals, who has 13.
“I worked on improving my power numbers and on driving in more runs,” said Bec, who has driven in 24 runs in 41 games after registering 26 RBIs in 54 games a year ago.
“He has been a staple for us for two years and he has taken so much more of a leadership role this year,” Derba said.
“He’s a great hitter and a great leader in the clubhouse,” Calais added.
Bec said moving from the warm climes of Miami to Orono hasn’t bothered him.
“I love this game so much. I don’t mind the weather,” Bec said. “I’m here for the baseball, not to go to the beach. It’s been awesome.”
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