Winkin hopeful despite injuries to key players

The University of Maine’s baseball team has suffered two significant personnel losses due to injury in senior shortstop and tri-captain Todd Livingston (knee) and senior first baseman Glen Stupienski (shoulder). Coach John Winkin said they will be out at least four weeks.

Despite the injuries and a 1-5 start to their spring trip entering a Thursday night doubleheader against the University of Pacific (Calif.), Winkin and veteran starting pitchers Mark Ballard and Lance Bogardus have maintained their optimism.

“We’ve got a pretty good looking team,” said Winkin, who will have five to seven first-year players in his everyday lineup for the rest of the trip. “The freshmen have made some mistakes that have hurt us against good teams but they’ve played very well overall.”

“They’ve been exceptional defensively,” said ace righthander and tri-captain Ballard, who is also the designated hitter. “Other than the first day, they haven’t made many errors at all.”

Maine has made nine errors in six games.

“Other than Mark, we don’t have any overpowering pitchers so we’ll need good defense behind us and the defense has been great so far,” said junior Bogardus.

The pitching, according to Winkin, is “coming along very well.”

The starting rotation of righties Ballard and LeRoy Decker and lefties Bogardus and Jim Hanning has given Winkin reason for optimism and he was very pleased with a strong outing turned in by freshman Brad Veilleux, who will probably become the fifith starter. Sophomores Steve Coombs and Matt Cassidy and junior Ryan Smith had good first outings as did freshman Garrett Quinn.

“I think we have the makings of a great staff,” said Ballard. “The freshmen throw strikes and force the hitters to put the ball in play.”

The leading hitters have been junior catcher and tri-captain Steve Puleo (.429, 5 RBIs), freshman DH-1B Tony Bianchi (.417), freshman 2B Danny Catlin (.409) and Ballard (.364).

Catlin has been exceptional at the plate and in the field, according to Winkin.

Freshmen RF Nick Caiazzo, LF Jeff Longo, CF Matt Huff and 3B Matt Trahan have struggled offensively but are showing signs of breaking out.

“The hitting hasn’t quite come around yet but it will,” said Ballard. “By the middle of the trip, we’re going to start winning some ballgames.”

Winkin said he intends to use sophomore Shiro Ando at shortstop to replace the injured Livingston, who was hitting .368 out of the lead-off spot. Ando has played very well defensively but Livingston’s bat will be missed. Huff is now leading off.

Bianchi will take Stupienski’s spot at first. Winkin said Longo could also be moved in to play first but, if he makes that move, he would be concerned about left field.