After freeing up money in the athletic budget for a radar gun last year, Bangor High School officials might want to look into a flame thrower this spring to melt all the snow still heaped upon the athletic fields.

Although it didn’t look like it outside, spring was in the air inside at Bangor and other Maine schools as Monday was the first official day of practice for spring sports programs.

Whether it was for baseball, softball, track and field, or tennis, muscles were being flexed and exercised Monday afternoon. Rather than complain about outdoor conditions, coaches and athletes simply adapted.

Brewer baseball coach David Morris said having to start out indoors is a blessing in disguise.

“As much as you don’t like being inside with this being such an outdoor sport, it’s good that we’re able to focus on mechanics and fundamentals. It forces you to slow down a little,” he explained. “Sometimes I think we have an advantage over a lot of people in the sense that we’re able to focus on those things a little longer than people in more warmer areas do.”

The Witches enter their fourth season with Morris at the helm. Assistants Jon Goss and Randy Hutchins are back again with the veteran coaching staff, whose only new face is Dana Corey, who moved up from middle school after Mark Reed opted to take this spring off.

Morris and his colleague across the river, new Bangor coach Jeff Fahey, have similar situations this year with both squads having plenty of experience with seven or eight returning starters, plenty of offensive talent, and plenty of pitching question marks.

“Our defense should be top-notch with a lot of two- and three-year starters back and our lineup could be very strong from leadoff to number nine,” said Fahey, who has been an assistant at Bangor the previous 12 seasons. “If we don’t hit and play solid defense, I’ll be very surprised.”

Fahey took over for Bob Kelley, who retired after 32 seasons.

Presently, most of Fahey’s concern is on the mound, where only player, senior Joe Vanidestine, returns with any pitching experience after having thrown 20 innings last year. Still, Fahey is very optimistic about the 2001 season.

“I told the kids if we don’t end up in the state championship game, we underachieved. There’s no reason we can’t go back,” he said.

Fahey heads an all-new staff for the Rams. Fred Lower replaces him as JV head coach while Rob Gould (pitchers and catchers) and John Tennett (infielders-outfielders) join Fahey’s staff.

Area baseball and softball teams will work out three weeks as the season won’t begin at least until April 14. The last countable regular season games are May 25 and the playoffs begin on May 30.

Some teams, like Bangor’s spring track squad, weren’t confined indoors. They were able to do some light running and skill work outside after warming up.

For Rams freshman and prospective sprinter Laura Clarke, it was just nice to get outside.

“I’d done softball in middle school, but I like to run and I figured this would be a good thing to try,” said Clark, who played varsity soccer and basketball in the fall and winter. “It just seemed to make sense. It’s a good way to stay in shape and I like the feeling I get after I finish running.”

Tennis and track’s regular seasons also start April 14 with postseason meets/matches on May 26. The last countable day for tennis matches is May 22.