Rainy days not dampening hopes of regional finalists Baseball, softball slated today after 2 postponements

The weather-induced holding pattern Maine high school baseball and softball teams have found themselves in continued for a second straight day Wednesday.

The consecutive rainouts of the Eastern Maine and Western Maine regional finals in both sports hasn’t had as negative an impact as might be expected, according to coaches.

Pitching assignments and rotations are largely unaltered, pitchers are well-rested, and about the only thing that causes coaches any concern is the buildup of a mild strain of cabin fever.

But even that really isn’t materializing.

“Amazingly, they’re pretty loose. They’re a funny group with a funny kind of intensity,” said Mattanawcook Academy baseball coach Greg Reed. “They come in and go about their stuff and they’re at a pretty even keel.”

The situation seems to be the same on the coast.

“I don’t know why, but my kids don’t seem nervous at all,” said Bucksport softball coach Mike Carrier. “We had a very relaxed practice. They just want to play.”

The one tangible effect from Tuesday’s postponements is that baseball coaches won’t have the luxury of pitching their ace in both the regional and state final (Saturday) games. Pitchers who throw more than three innings in a game must then have three calendar days of rest between games.

Weather permitting, Reed’s squad and all others involved in Classes A and C regional finals action will get their chance to play ball today. Class C teams get things started at 3 p.m. as Mattanawcook of Lincoln meets George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill for the East title at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor, while Monmouth Academy and Jay square off for the West crown at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish.

In softball, A teams get to go first as Leavitt of Turner and Oxford Hills of South Paris square off at Brewer’s Coffin Field in the East final, while Biddeford and Lewiston face off at Saint Joseph’s.

The A baseball games follow at 7 p.m. with Oxford Hills/Cony in Bangor and Portland/Sanford in Standish. Softball will switch to Class C with Calais/Narraguagus in Brewer and Sacopee Valley/St. Dominic in Standish.

The B and D games scheduled for Wednesday will now go Friday at the same regional final locations with the B softball and D baseball games going first at 3 p.m. In the east, Erskine Academy of South China meets Bucksport in the B softball game while Lee Academy and East Grand of Danforth will meet in baseball. In the west, the baseball game pits Richmond against North Yarmouth Academy (Class D) while softball sees Maranacook of Readfield take on Greely of Cumberland Center (B).

The other Friday games, all at 7 p.m., will match Winslow and Foxcroft Academy (East) and Marancook against Gray-New Gloucester (West) in baseball, and Fort Fairfield/Lee Academy (East) and Buckfield/Richmond in softball (West).

Aside from the waiting, the hardest part about the postponements is not being able to at least practice outside.

“Baseball at this time of year is tough enough with all distractions of senior activities and finals, so you hope the boys just manage to maintain their focus once they get back on the field,” said GSA baseball coach Dan Kane.

Both Kane and Carrier, who have a combined 26 years of head coaching experience and 16 regional final appearances between them, said they’ve never seen this kind of situation come up with back-to-back rainouts of the regional finals.

“We haven’t been outside since Monday,” said Carrier, who also had to deal with the added complication of not having the high school gym available either Tuesday or Wednesday.

“Tuesday they were using it as a polling place for the primaries and Wednesday they’re holding the moose lottery there, but fortunately we have a great and accommodating junior high athletic director who opens his gym up to us at a moment’s notice,” Carrier said.

Reed’s gym was also unavailable Tuesday due to the primary.

“So we didn’t do anything. Monday we had a good full practice outdoors though,” he said. “Today it was almost all hitting. We also had a couple pitchers throw and our infielders took some grounders on the gym floor, so if we end up playing on hardwood or concrete, we should be alright,” said Reed. “I set my inside cage up tonight. We have final exams going on, so I thought maybe kids would like to go in there and take a few swings between tests.”