Among NCAA Division I sports, baseball is the one most affected by the weather.

As a result, schools in the South and West seemingly have a huge advantage over those in the North. They get outside earlier to practice, play games sooner and spread their schedules out over more time.

For years, that has been the status quo in Division I college baseball.

University of Maine coach Paul Kostacopoulos has spent a lifetime playing and coaching in the Northeast. He knows the challenges the weather presents to teams in the region.

“We had six home dates this year. That kills us,” said Kostacopoulos, whose team played 43 of its 51 games away from Orono this season.

There may be sunnier days ahead for UMaine and other cold-weather schools.

Last fall, under pressure from the American Baseball Coaches Association and administrators from conferences like the Big Ten, the NCAA Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet formed a Division I Baseball Issues Committee. Its job is to address competitive equity in college baseball.

The committee has since considered four important changes that could help level the playing field between warm-weather schools and northern programs.

It has suggested making February 1 the earliest day for practice and setting March 1 as the first day of game competition. It also is considering moving the start of the NCAA Tournament back two weeks.

That would mean all teams would play under the same guidelines, weather-permitting.

“We’re the only sport that doesn’t have a common starting date,” Kostacopoulos said. “I really think it could be a huge turning point for our program.”

A similar proposal was made to the NCAA 10 years ago, but it didn’t have widespread support until recently.

“There’s a chance for us to do a couple of things in baseball that we’ve never had a chance to do before, because of the attention the issue is getting now,” Skip Bertman, athletic director and former baseball coach at Louisiana State University, said in the most recent issue of The NCAA News.

“I can’t think of anybody who wouldn’t benefit from moving [the season] back a little bit,” Bertman added.

The issues committee is awaiting responses to a survey of Division I athletic directors, who were asked to evaluate the proposed changes. It will review the results during a June 21 meeting and is expected to make recommendations to the championships cabinet in September.

“We think it would a very positive thing, not just for Maine but nationally for baseball,” said UMaine athletic director Patrick Nero.

Where the plan is likely to meet resistance is among the power schools and conferences that have enjoyed the benefits of the current setup and their favorable weather.

Bertman said some southern teams could be forced to deal with excessive heat and humidity if the season is pushed back and may also experience a drop in attendance.

And while some argue it would cost more to house and feed players longer, better attendance would help offset the cost. Kostacopoulos, who pointed out the new system would result in less missed class time, believes a later season would help generate more support for UMaine baseball.

“We’ll have more opportunities to build our fan base,” said Kostacopoulos, who envisions scheduling other New England powers for midweek games that would attract more excitement.

Husson College coach John Winkin said moving the season back is a “real step toward parity” in college baseball. He said the proposal may draw criticism from summer college leagues like the Cape Cod League, and professional teams that sponsor short-season Class A ball, which begins in June.

“But there are lots of ways around that,” said Winkin.

He indicated that schools in the North and East might be more inclined to submit a bid to host four-team, double-elimination regionals. The only northern school hosting a regional this weekend is Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

Quackenbush, Gay leave UMaine

Sophomore basketball players Katherine Quackenbush and Andrea Gay have announced they will not return to the University of Maine next fall, citing personal reasons.

Both players, who hail from Nova Scotia, saw limited action during their two seasons with the Black Bears and likely would have stayed in reserve roles for coach Sharon Versyp’s team.

Gay and Quackenbush said they are looking to re-evaluate their options.

“I had a great experience, will miss my teammates, coaches and school,” said Gay, a 6-foot-2 post player. “I want to thank all of the fans and the university for their dedication to me and appreciate all that they have done.”

Quackenbush, a small forward, also enjoyed her time at UMaine.

“The people in Maine are unbelievable and made my experience here great,” Quackenbush said. “I love my teammates, friends, teachers and fans here and thank them for all the support they have given me. It is disappointing that I had this decision, but I came to the realization that Maine is not the best situation for me.”