Alain Picard has been hampered by injuries during much of the 2002 baseball season. That hasn’t stopped the University of Maine junior from making a serious run at the school record for consecutive games with a hit.

The lefthanded hitter from Ste.-Foy, Quebec, has hit safely in 24 games, including all 23 in which he has played this season. Picard is three games shy of tying the UMaine record of 27 games set by Lewiston’s Brian Sequin back in 1990.

“It’s amazing,” said sixth-year UMaine coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “He’s on the ball. He’s got great bat speed, quick hands and he’s athletic.”

Picard takes a league-best .494 batting average (41-for-83) into this weekend’s America East series at Vermont. Despite missing five games with a hamstring pull, he leads UMaine regulars in on-base percentage (.548), doubles (15) and slugging percentage (.819).

He also leads the conference in on-base percentage.

“I think Alain works very hard,” Kostacopoulos said. “Physically, he’s a well-conditioned athlete. He eats right. He’s serious about being a good player.”

Picard has accomplished the hitting streak despite working around the hamstring pull sustained in Florida and, more recently, a shoulder injury that has relegated him to duty as the Bears’ designated hitter.

In the last 10 games, Picard is batting at a .595 clip (22-for-37) with seven doubles, three home runs, 16 RBIs and 14 runs scored. He has doubled in each of his last five contests.

However, the streak could be in jeopardy this weekend, when UMaine is expected to face a couple of tough lefthanded pitchers in Brian Robinson and Derek Miller.

“This is the weekend he could struggle, because Vermont’s got good lefthanded pitching,” said Kostacopoulos, who credits Picard’s continued success to a combination of ability and work ethic.

“Alain has a lot of raw talent,” Kostacopoulos said. “Part of it’s him playing the game more, getting more at-bats, feeling more confident.”

Picard, who boasts a .380 career batting average, also has stolen seven bases in eight attempts and has yet to commit an error in 69 chances.

Shields at World Championships

While his University of Maine teammates enjoy a well-deserved break, Colin Shields packed up his hockey gear and headed to Hungary.

Shields, who led the Black Bears with 29 goals during his sophomore season, is playing for Great Britain at the 2002 World Championships in Szekesfehervar, Dunaujvaros, Hungary.

The native of Glasgow, Scotland, registered an assist Wednesday as Great Britain beat Romania 5-2. He had scored his team’s only goal Monday in a 4-1 loss to Hungary after notching a goal and an assist in Sunday’s 5-3 loss to Denmark.

Great Britain, which sits in fourth place with two games left in the tournament, takes on China today before winding up the event with a Saturday game against Norway.

Shields ranked third among UMaine scorers last season with 29 goals and 17 assists for 46 points. He was selected for the Hockey East All-Rookie Team and tallied the game-winning goal in the Bears’ NCAA national quarterfinal victory over Boston University.

UMaine football opens spring season

With the memories of their outstanding 2001 season still fresh in their minds, the members of the UMaine football team officially opened their spring season Thursday.

The Bears gathered on the Morse Field AstroTurf for the first of 15 spring sessions, which will culminate with the annual Blue-White spring scrimmage on Saturday, May 11, at 7 p.m. at Alfond Stadium.

Coach Jack Cosgrove’s team posted a 9-3 record last fall, earning a share of the Atlantic 10 regular-season title on its way to the program’s first-ever NCAA postseason victory at McNeese State (La.).

UMaine will practice again Friday before donning full pads for Saturday’s 9 a.m. session. The Bears have planned intrasquad scrimmages for April 27 and May 4, both Saturdays, at 9 a.m.