UM trio to wear 2 caps Bears graduating, playing Saturday

ORONO – Ryan Harris, Mark Reichley, and Pete Saunders may be best known on the University of Maine campus as members of the Black Bears baseball team.

This morning, the three seniors will have their names announced over the public address system for another impressive accomplishment: getting their diplomas and graduating from UMaine.

The trio, who are among 63 graduating UMaine student-athletes, are scheduled to attend commencement at Alfond Stadium at 10:30 a.m., then will report to adjacent Mahaney Diamond for a 3 p.m. America East doubleheader against Stony Brook.

“One’s going to dentistry school, one’s going to receive an engineering degree at Maine, which is incredibly valuable, and the other is also getting a degree,” said UMaine baseball coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “That’s what we’re supposed to be doing here is creating educated people who get their degree, value their degree, and take that knowledge out into the world.”

The Bears’ graduates have taken care of academics while achieving varying levels of success on the baseball field.

Reichley, a captain, was the starting shortstop as a freshman and made 35 starts as a sophomore in 2002, when he hit a career-high .322. He has filled more of a backup role the last two seasons.

“I had a very good experience,” said Reichley, a Lansdale, Pa., native who earned a biology degree and will attend the University of Pennsylvania Dental School in the fall. “I feel very fortunate to come up here and play with some of these guys and to attend school.”

He admitted it has been difficult to serve as a captain and see his playing time diminish.

“You have to keep your good face on for everybody else, even though you’re not doing so well and you might be hurting inside,” Reichley said.

Harris, a kinesiology and physical education major from Woodstock, New Brunswick, has filled a variety of roles on the UMaine pitching staff. Harris gradually worked his way into the starting rotation last season, going 4-3 with a 3.80 earned run average.

“It’s taken a while, but it’s a huge accomplishment for anyone,” Harris said of graduation.

This spring, he went 2-1 on the Florida trip, but was sidelined for three weeks with a triceps injury. He returned to become a dependable reliever in the setup role.

“It’s been a huge experience,” said Harris, who plans to take a year off before applying to grad school. “I consider it almost my life, to play baseball. It’s so much fun.”

Saunders chose UMaine because of its outstanding engineering program. The Bucksport native earned a degree in chemical engineering.

He acquired some important skills through balancing academics and athletics.

“Probably my organizational skill is the biggest thing I’ll take away,” said Saunders, whose older brother also earned an engineering degree from UMaine.

Saunders has been a reserve outfielder and pinch runner for the Bears during his career, appearing in 80 games.

“I knew it was going to be hard, but I just stayed with my classes, worked hard, stuck with my program,” he said. “I’ve had a really great time.”

Kostacopoulos said what the three graduates have meant to the baseball program goes well beyond their efforts on the field.

“Their contributions don’t show up in the box score,” Kostacopoulos said. “A lot of things come up on a team during a long season and they’ve done a good job of making sure that we stay on track.”