USM has rebuilt itself into another Division III contender

If there was ever a year when the University of Southern Maine’s Huskies would be rebuilding, this would be the season.

Sixth-year Coach Ed Flaherty has guided his last four teams to the NCAA Division III Regionals but this year’s team is minus pitchers who threw 193 1/3 of the team’s 278 1/3 innings a year ago. It also lost its second and fourth leading hitters and starting shortstop.

But the Huskies have simply picked up the pieces and strung together 17 wins against only five losses.

“I’ve been a little bit surprised,” said the 37-year-old Flaherty, who has compiled a 148-65 mark at USM and guided his 1989 team to the Division III College World Series. “I knew we had pretty good talent but a lot of these players are young and I didn’t know how well they’d do in their first year.”

Flaherty not only has some freshmen who have been thrust into prominent roles, he also has some sophomores and juniors who have become regulars for the first times in their careers.

Despite the turnover, the Huskies are hitting a whopping .383 as a team and they’ve averaged 9.9 runs per game. They’ve scored eight or more runs 10 times and have had games where they have scored 14, 20, 27 and 36 runs.

“We don’t have an automatic out in the lineup,” said Flaherty, the former University of Maine standout first baseman-outfielder. “If you look at our RBI totals, it’s been spread out. We’re very balanced.”

USM has nine players with 13 or more RBIs.

Senior right fielder Bob Prince (.505 average, 2 homers-35 runs batted in) heads up the potent lineup along with junior 2B Jim Broughton (.432-0-20) and junior SS Mark Caron (.424-2-23). There has also been plenty of production from freshman 1B Geoff George (.382-5-17), junior CF Jon Collins (.367-3-14), junior DH Scott Dutton (.348-0-15), sophomore C Rich York (.340-0-9), freshman C Pete Misiaszek (.340-2-13), sophomore LF Gary Williamson (.327-3-23) and senior 3B Steve Claire (.321-1-9).

Brewer’s Collins, the lead-off man, leads the team in stolen bases (9-for-11) and runs scored (27). Caron has scored 26 runs, Prince has scored 24 times, Dutton has 22 runs and Claire has crossed the plate 21 times.

USM has a good hitter coming off the bench in freshman Jim DiMillo (.322-2-14).

Flaherty said the pitching has been “great for our level.”

“We have nine kids who can pitch which is unusual,” said Flaherty.

There wasn’t much mound experience coming into the season because senior lefty Bob Aceto was the only returnee with more than 17 1/3 innings of experience.

Aceto hurled 66 2/3 innings a year ago, going 4-5 with a 3.78 ERA.

He is 4-1 this season with a 3.07 ERA. He is followed in the starting rotation by Ellsworth righty Troy Brown (3-0, 2.70), a junior who transferred from the University of Maine; freshman lefty Marty Devlin (4-1, 2.78) and freshman righty Todd Wheeler (3-0, 4.82).

Flaherty said Brown and Devlin have been excellent additions and he is hoping Wheeler can become more consistent. Brown (14), Devlin (8) and Aceto (5) have walked only 27 hitters in 88 1/3 innings.

Sophomore sidearming righty Steve Giroux (2-0, 3 saves, 2.60), a transfer from Jacksonville University, and freshman righty Mike Welch (0-1, 3 saves, 0.00) have given Flaherty an outstanding bullpen. Giroux is more of a set-up man and Welch is the closer.

“Welch has the best arm on our team,” said Flaherty.

The middle relievers are junior righty Mike Moody (0-1, 7.24), freshman lefty Tim Sullivan (1-0, 2.45) and junior righty Dana Caron (0-1, 6.00). Sullivan could also be a spot starter.

Flaherty said his team’s defense has been “real good.” The Huskles have committed 34 errors and have turned 18 double plays.