ORONO – The University of Maine baseball team has achieved tremendous success the last three years, averaging 38 wins while going 114-50 (.695). This spring, the Black Bears hope to maintain their status as one of the best programs in the Northeast.

Coach Paul Kostacopoulos’ Bears, who open the season Saturday in Miami against St. Francis, must do so with a revamped lineup.

“I think it’s a big challenge,” said senior captain Simon Williams of Portland. “We’ve got a lot of new faces, a lot of guys I think are going to step up.”

There are some unknowns for UMaine, which lost six full-time position players, its top starting pitcher and a durable reliever off a 38-18 squad that reached the second round of the America East tournament.

“It’s very much a new team in terms of personnel, so you’re going to have some anxiousness at the beginning of the year,” said Kostacopoulos, who has a 215-155 record in seven seasons at UMaine. “That doesn’t mean we don’t have guys who can play, it’s just that they’re new.”

Pitching should be a strength for the Bears, who return starters in senior Mike MacDonald of Camden, sophomore Greg Norton of South Portland, senior Ryan Harris and junior Greg Creek of Chelsea. That group combined to go 23-9 with a 3.44 earned run average, 220 strikeouts and only 71 walks in 235 1/3 innings in 2003.

Freshman righty Steve Richard also could vie for a starting roles. Other veterans include Scott Robinson, Troy Martin, Sam Warner of Eliot (the only lefty) and Brett Rogers of Orrs Island. Freshmen Will Carroll of Boothbay and Ryan Brown of Old Town have shown promise.

With America East moving to three-game league series with two nine-inning games and one of seven innings, pitching quality and depth have become even more important.

“We’ve certainly got guys with experience, pitchers who have done great jobs for us. They’ve got to go out again and do it,” Kostacopoulos said, “but pitching is very fragile.”

Kostacopoulos said UMaine must establish roles for its pitchers, some of whom will be needed in middle relief, short relief or situations. That quest begins on the Southern trip.

MacDonald is confident the pitchers will help the team through any transition it might experience trying to replace hitters who accounted for 72 percent of UMaine’s home runs, 69 percent of its runs batted in, 64 percent of its hits and 62 percent of its runs scored.

“I think the pitching staff will be real strong this year,” MacDonald said. “We don’t have quite the explosive offense that we did before, but guys are still going to put runs on the board.”

Key returning starters include junior catcher Aaron Izaryk, sophomore outfielder Ryan Quintal, first baseman Creek and center fielder Williams. Quintal is the top returning hitter (.340, 5 HR, 25 RBI), while Izaryk (.310, 2HR, 33 RBI) is outstanding defensively.

The oft-injured Williams (.286, 3HR, 17 RBI, 8 SB) will be counted upon to set the tone with his speed.

“Simon’s a big key to our team because he has some skills running the bases and is an extraordinarily gifted defensive outfielder,” Kostacopoulos said.

Williams will be flanked in the outfield by Quintal and sophomore Joe Hough (.259, 11 RBI) or senior Pete Saunders of Bucksport (.333).

Creek (.322, 2 HR, 17 RBI) will start at first and is expected to be a regular on the mound. He’s backed up at first by freshman Joel Barrett of Brewer.

The Bears’ infield has seen significant changes. Senior captain Mark Reichley (.242, 3 RBI), who started 88 games at shortstop in 2001 and ’02, has moved over to third base.

“I really like it a lot more,” Reichley said. “I believe that I’ll be a better third baseman than a shortstop before it’s done.”

Up the middle, junior Mike Ferriggi, who has seen significant time at shortstop the last two years, is the starter at second base. He lines up alongside sophomore shortstop Jason Harvey of Bucksport, a transfer from Husson College in Bangor.

“Depth-wise, I would say in the recent history this is the thinnest we’ve been in the infield,” Kostacopoulos said.

Freshman catcher/third baseman Matt McGraw also is expected to contribute.

Kostacopoulos realizes there are many unknowns for the upcoming season, but he isn’t willing to describe his team as “rebuilding” or “young.” He wants the Bears to do a better job making contact and strike out less while moving runners along to manufacture runs.

“I think the key to good programs is they get new people and they’re able to get them onto a program and help them be successful,” he said. “This is a perfect example. We have a lot of guys who have been in the program and now have their chance.”

UMaine’s home opener is April 17 against Hartford.

2004 MAINE BASEBALL SCHEDULE

February

(Games in Florida)

28 ? vs. St. Francis, 7 p.m.

29 ? vs. LaSalle, 2 p.m.

March

(Games in Florida unless noted)

1 ? vs. Boston College, 7 p.m.

2 ? vs. Villanova, 2:30 p.m.

4 ? at Miami, 7 p.m.

5 ? vs. Temple, 7 p.m.

6 ? vs. Wagner, 2:30 p.m.

7 ? vs. Mt. St. Mary, 2:30 p.m.

9 ? vs. St. Joseph’s, 7 p.m.

10 ? vs. St. Joseph’s, 2 p.m.

11 ? vs. Cortland State, 3 p.m.

12 ? vs. Cortland State, 2 p.m.

13 ? vs. Iowa, 1 p.m.

14 ? vs. Iowa, 1 0 a.m.

20 ? at Rhode Island (2), noon

21 ? at Rhode Island, noon

27 ? at New York Tech (2), noon

28 ? at New York Tech (2), noon

April

1 ? at Husson, 3 p.m.

2 ? at Sacred Heart (2), 12:30 p.m.

3 ? at Northeastern, noon

6 ? at Central Connecticut (2), 1 p.m.

9 ? at Northeastern (2), noon

10 ? at Northeastern, noon

14 ? vs. Brown (2), at Sanford, 1 p.m.

17 ? vs. Hartford (2), noon

18 ? vs. Hartford, noon

19 ? vs. Husson, 6 p.m.

24 ? at Binghamton (2), noon

25 ? at Binghamton, noon

27 ? vs. Colby, 6 p.m.

28 ? at Holy Cross, 3:30 p.m.

May

1 ? at Vermont (2), noon

2 ? at Vermont, noon

8 ? vs. Stony Brook (2), noon

9 ? vs. Stony Brook, noon

15 ? vs. Albany (2), noon

16 ? vs. Albany, noon

19 ? at Boston College, TBA

21 ? at UMBC (2), noon

22 ? at UMBC, noon

27-29, America East Tourney at Orono