Busy week to test Bucks Mims decision expected Friday

It won’t take long for the defending Eastern Maine Class B champion Bucksport High baseball team to get an early reading on its postseason hopes for 2004.

The Golden Bucks, 2-0 after a season-opening sweep of Caribou, were scheduled to play Hermon on Tuesday, then have games against John Bapst of Bangor, Brewer and Ellsworth on tap before week’s end.

Weather permitting, coach Mike Cowing’s club will have more than a third of its 16-game schedule completed by sundown on May Day.

Tuesday’s game with Hermon was postponed due to rain.

“Those teams are all strong, so this will give us a good idea of where we’re at,” Cowing said.

This is a much younger Bucksport team than the 2003 edition that edged Foxcroft Academy in extra innings in the Eastern B final before falling to Oak Hill of Sabattus in the state title game. Twelve seniors graduated, leaving the 2004 team a junior-heavy club.

The Golden Bucks are led by their few veterans, among them senior pitcher-shortstop Wade Hopkins, junior pitcher-infielder Nye Gifford, junior third baseman Joey Carmichael and junior first baseman Robbie Pushard.

Bucksport also boasts considerable talent in the younger classes, including sophomore catcher-pitcher Joey Robichaud and freshman outfielder-second baseman Chris Maguire.

“We’re pretty versatile,” Cowing said. “Our infield defense will be as good as anyone’s, and in the outfield we’re young but we just need to be able to make the routine plays.

“I think our pitching should be solid. Our pitchers are just that, pitchers.”

Bucksport has ranked as one of the stronger programs in Eastern B for more than a decade, also winning a regional title in 2000. It is that tradition that may serve as a wild card as the Golden Bucks strive to remain among the top teams in the division this spring.

“Bucksport has a strong baseball tradition in the community,” said Cowing. “The feeder program starting with Little League has been terrific, and the high school kids have worked a lot with the younger kids in clinics. The whole community and youth organization is one great big system. Kids see us play at the high school level and want to be a part of it.”

How quickly the younger Golden Bucks adapt to life at the varsity level also will play a role in defining Bucksport’s status in this year’s Eastern B race to the playoffs.

“My expectations are never in terms of wins and losses,” Cowing said. “I expect us to play hard, to be fundamentally sound and to play as a team. We’re all competitive and want to win, and I think we will be very competitive.”

Mims decision expected Friday

Ralph Mims, the three-time NEWS All-Maine first-team basketball player who led Brunswick to the 2002 Class A state championship and the 2004 Eastern A title, is expected to announce his college choice Friday during a 3:30 p.m. press conference at the Brunswick High School library, according to Dragons’ coach Todd Hanson.

Mims, who averaged 28.9 points and 11.4 rebounds per game as a senior and scored a school-record 1,916 career points for the Dragons, has been highly recruited by a number of major Division I programs.

The 6-foot-3 guard reportedly has narrowed his choice in recent weeks to either Florida State or Providence.

MIAAA announces honorees

The Maine Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association recently announced the newest recipients of its annual awards for contributions to interscholastic athletics in the state.

Don Wilson, athletic administrator at Biddeford High, was recognized with the Robert J. Lahey MIAAA AD of the Year award.

Other honorees were Gary Hoyt of Cheverus of Portland, Past President’s Special Achievement Award; Thor Nilsen of Yarmouth, NIAAA State Award of Merit; Bob Whytock of Farmingdale and Ed Hardy of George Stevens Academy in Blue Hill, MIAAA Distinguished Service Award; Michael Hoffer of the Falmouth Forecaster and Don Shields of WRKD radio in Rockland, MIAAA Sports Media Award; and Keith Lancaster, MIAAA Award for Professional Development.

The MIAAA also awarded $500 scholarships to eight high school scholar-athletes: Caitlin Brady of Biddeford, Joseph Burnham of Winthrop, Brandon Dow of Erskine Academy, Chris James of Woodland, Jaide Littlefield of Mattanawcook Academy, Allison Marshall of Lawrence, Jon Marstaller of Lake Region, and Harita Reddy of Foxcroft Academy.

Ernie Clark may be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or eclark@bangordailynews.net