After compiling a 9-5 record on its spring trip, the University of Maine baseball team returned to Orono with high hopes for the rest of the season.

On Wednesday, America East’s coaches admitted that they, too, expect good things out of the Black Bears: UMaine received six of seven first-place votes and was voted the league’s top team.

Maine received 46 points to runner-up Northeastern’s 38. Vermont (36), Stony Brook (35), Binghamton (15), Hartford (14), and Albany (12) rounded out the league poll.

Stony Brook, a new member of America East, received the other first-place vote.

“It’s a nice thing to see because if you use it the right way as a team, it can raise your expectations,” said UMaine coach Paul Kostacopoulos.

Kostacopoulos said polls don’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, especially with the restructuring this season of America East.

“It’s meaningless, because nobody knows what has happened during the offseason,” he said. “It’s kind of presumptuous to think that you’re better than teams you know nothing about. That’s why we play the season.”

Kostacopoulos was referring to the addition of Stony Brook, which has won 30 games each of the last two seasons, along with Binghamton and Albany.

The Black Bears were 20-8 in America East play a year ago and their roster is bolstered by the last three league rookies of the year: Mike Ross (1999), Joe Drapeau (2000) and Mike Collar (2001).

Northeastern, the No. 2 pick, has history on its side. Coach Neil McPhee’s Huskies are the only team in America East to qualify for each of the nine championship tournaments since the league held its first tourney in 1993.

This year’s America East slate will consist of 24 games for each team. Each league school will play two doubleheaders against each other team in the conference.

The America East championship tourney – a four-team, double-elimination affair – will be held May 23-25 at Mahaney Diamond in Orono.

UMaine softball picked second

Boston University is the unanimous favorite in America East softball play, according to a poll of league coaches, but Maine is a solid pick as the No. 2 squad in the league.

BU received all seven first-place votes and amassed 49 points. Maine received 38 points while Stony Brook (29), Hartford (28), Vermont (20), Albany (17) and Binghamton (15) rounded out the voting.

The Terriers of BU went 34-17, 21-5 in America East, and won the regular-season league title a year ago.

The Terriers must replace a key component of their success, though, as two-time America East pitcher of the year Robyn King graduated.

Maine is led by three-time all-conference selections Erica Sobel at shortstop and Leigh Ann Hlywak at third base.

The Black Bears struggled to a 12-41 overall record a year ago and went 6-20 in league play.

The America East championship tournament will be held May 9-11 at Post Field in Burlington, Vt.

Calabrese stars for Clark swim team

Katie Calabrese recently completed an outstanding season as a member of the Clark University women’s swimming and diving team.

The senior captain from Bar Harbor broke two 20-year-old school records in the 100-yard breaststroke (1 minute, 10.04 seconds) and the 200 breaststroke (2:31.32).

Calabrese placed third in the 100 breaststroke and fourth in the 200 at the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Championship. Clark placed sixth in the meet and posted a 7-4 dual-meet record this season.

Laura Kurzius of Dover-Foxcroft was a freshman member of the Clark squad.

Bowdoin decathlon postponed

Bowdoin College announced Tuesday that the Roger Castle decathlon, which was originally scheduled for March 29-30 in Brunswick, has been postponed due to snow. The decathlon will be held on April 6 in conjunction with a regularly scheduled home meet.