ORONO – Consistency. It has been an elusive characteristic for the 1999 University of Maine baseball team, which features a lineup dominated by underclassmen.

Jim Bailin has been among those who has found a good groove this season. The sophomore pitcher from Levittown, N.Y., has emerged as the Black Bears’ most effective and consistent starter.

Bailin will take the mound again this weekend against Vermont in hopes of helping lead Maine to a berth in next week’s America East Championship at Wilmington, Del.

The 6-foot, 215-pound lefthander has posted a 6-2 record with a team-leading 4.30 earned run average.

He is only the third Black Bear pitcher to win six games in the last ?? seasons, joining Tom Koutrouba (6-4 in 1998) and Garrett Quinn (9-2 in ’97).

The emergence of Bailin as a dependable starter is exactly what coach Paul Kostacopoulos needed to anchor a young staff that includes a freshman and two sophomores starting in Division I for the first time.

“He has been our most consistent pitcher throughout the year,” Kostacopoulos said. “He’s gone out there and won, and that really has taken a lot of pressure off the new guys.”

Bailin encountered some typical inconsistency as a freshman last season. He went 2-3 with a 7.49 ERA, mostly as a starter. However, when teammates Eric O’Brien and Jason Hall came up with sore arms, it was Bailin who picked up the slack, going 2-1 in his last four starts to help Maine challenge for a playoff spot.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to win for the team,” Bailin said. “I just wanted to pitch as much as possible.”

Now, Bailin has made the transition from uncertain freshman to confident sophomore.

“Until the last couple weeks last year, I wasn’t sure where I was,” admitted Bailin, who a year later is the picture of confidence and determination. “I’ve been pretty happy with the way I’ve been performing lately. I just try to compete out there and give the team the best chance of winning I can.”

Bailin is somewhat of an enigma as a pitcher. He thrives on a sharp curveball and a good changeup while trying to occassionally sneak a fastball by opposing hitters. Bailin has surrendered a team-high 81 hits in 58 2/3 innings, yet has allowed three runs or less in seven of his nine starts.

“Teams are going to get hits,” Bailin said frankly. “If you make a pitch and the kid gets a hit, you tip your cap to him. If a guy gets on, the first thing I think about is rolling up a double play. You’ve got to have some toughness out there.”

Kostacopoulos continues to marvel at Bailin’s uncanny ability to extract himself from jam after jam, but can’t exactly pinpoint the reason the lefty is so resilient when in trouble.

“He may give up a hit or two, but he also can strike people out,” Kostacopoulos said. “He doesn’t give up the big gap shot or the big home run. He has the ability to know when he’s got to get outs.”

Another key factor in Bailin’s success has been his ability to cut down on walks. After issuing a team-high 35 bases on balls in only 45 2/3 innings last season, he has walked only 19 batters this season.

Bailin also credited pitching coach Mike McRae with implementing an effective game plan while calling pitches from the dugout.

“Coach McRae does a great job,” Bailin said. “He calls pitches not based on a hitter’s weaknesses, but to use a pitcher’s strengths.”

When Bailin takes the mound this weekend, he hopes to take advantage of his strengths and help Maine take the final step toward the league tournament.

“I think the whole pitching staff has kick-started the last couple weeks,” Bailin said. “I want to play in the playoffs just as bad as anybody. I want to do something good this year with this team.”