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ORONO – In a tournament, one pitch, one play, or a single at-bat can make the difference between winning and losing a game – or a championship.
The University of Maine plans to keep that thought in mind today as it opens play in the America East Baseball Championship at Mahaney Diamond.
The top-seeded Black Bears (36-14) begin their quest for a spot in the NCAA Tournament with a 7 p.m. game against No. 4 Stony Brook (26-22).
Second-seeded Vermont (27-20) and No. 3 Northeastern (27-20) get the four-team, double-elimination event started at 3:30 p.m. The tournament winner earns an automatic berth in the 64-team NCAA Tournament.
UMaine, which has not hosted a tourney since 1996, looks to capitalize on its home-field advantage by putting together three days of solid ball.
“So much in a tournament can turn on a play, an inning,” said UMaine coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “Because it’s an emotional thing, you get a little momentum going and it can carry you for two or three days.”
The Bears know all too well the importance of starting well in a tournament setting. UMaine was eliminated in two straight games last season and the program has lost 12 of its last 14 postseason contests.
“You hope you can seize the momentum right away,” Kostacopoulos said. “I think that’s the key: who can capitalize on that first break, who can get that lift.”
Another important factor for the Bears is the weather. Most teams, UMaine and Vermont in particular, have been plagued by cold and wind most of the spring on conference weekends.
With warm weather forecast during the tournament, the Bears hope to better take advantage of their home run power and ability to hit the ball into the gaps.
Warm weather also should enable UMaine to attract vocal eastern Maine baseball fans to Mahaney Diamond.
The first two rounds of the tournament are likely to be characterized by outstanding pitching. Each of the four teams has at least two strong starters, including Northeastern’s Devin Monds, Mike Collar and Mike MacDonald of Maine, Vermont’s Brian Robinson and Andy Kumming, and Jon Lewis of Stony Brook.
“I think the league has been dominated by pitching, for the most part,” Kostacopoulos said.
The team that wins its first two games puts itself in the best position to win the tournament, since it would have to be beaten twice on the third day to be eliminated. Even so, the importance of each team’s relief pitching usually becomes a key factor.
“Everybody’s worry is their bullpen,” Kostacopoulos said. “Northeastern has some depth in pitching, but the rest are pretty even right across the board.”
One key factor affecting the pitching depth is the fact tournament games are nine innings. During the regular season, all conference contests are seven innings.
Nine-inning games introduce the need for more effective starting pitching or the ability to bring in a good pitcher to hold a lead or keep a game close.
UMaine has been able to focus completely on baseball this week, something that hasn’t been the case in the past. Since the NCAA moved the season back by one week this year, final exams are over and there have been no distractions.
“We’ve got all of that behind us now,” Kostacopoulos said. “We’re at home. We’re not traveling. I’ve tried to make the players aware that we’ve already caught some breaks.”
One bad break for UMaine has been the injury to sophomore left fielder Simon Williams of Portland. Williams has missed the last two weekends with an impingement of his left rotator cuff.
Whether he plays today will be a game-time decision. Williams leads the team and ranks second in America East with a .380 batting average. His 54 runs scored also lead the league, while his 21 stolen bases rank third.
“He has felt better, but he needs to show that he can play,” said Kostacopoulos, who’ll let Williams decide whether he can help the Bears win.
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