It’s tough to make a name for oneself these days in the Maine Division III women’s basketball ranks.

This week, Bowdoin College of Brunswick, Bates College of Lewiston, and the University of Southern Maine in Gorham are all ranked in the top 10 in one of the national polls.

Yet out in the western Maine mountains, the University of Maine-Farmington is striving to achieve similar success.

The Beavers go into tonight’s North Atlantic Conference clash against Maine Maritime Academy of Castine as another key player in a talented lineup of Maine small-college teams.

Coach Jamie Beaudoin has directed the Beavers to a 12-4 record (8-0 in the NAC) this season in the hope of winning a second straight league title.

“We’re definitely happy in the direction that we’re moving,” said UMF’s sixth-year coach, an Orono High grad who has directed the Beavers to back-to-back 20-win seasons.

Despite beating Husson College of Bangor in the NAC championship game last year, UMF’s season ended there while the Eagles earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

“It would have been nice to have been able to play another game, but winning that conference championship was rewarding for our program,” Beaudoin said.

This season, the NAC winner will receive an automatic bid.

UM-Farmington has tried to build on last season’s success in part by playing a testy nonleague schedule that included the likes of USM, Bowdoin, and Bates.

“A year ago when we played each of those schools, they really weren’t close contests, but this year we got it a little bit closer,” Beaudoin said. “We played all of them pretty well in comparison to what other teams are doing.”

The closest of the three was a 62-52 loss to Bowdoin on Jan. 6.

Beaudoin has built his program around talented Maine players and an emphasis on defense. The Beavers feature 14 Maine high school products, including nine from Eastern Maine squads.

UMF’s catalysts are sophomores Kari Simpson and Karen Sirois. Simpson, a 6-foot-1 forward from Wells, leads the team in scoring (14.9 per game), rebounding (6.1 rpg), steals (3.6 spg), blocked shots (17), and free-throw percentage (.892).

“She is really our go-to player in terms of when we need that basket or we need to get the ball inside; she can demand the basketball and we can find a way to get it to her,” Beaudoin said.

West Gardiner’s Sirois, who played at Cony High in Augusta, is the point guard. She’s averaging 9.8 points and 4.3 assists.

“In terms of seeing the floor and handling the team, she is in essence a true point guard,” Beaudoin said. “She is a great defender and a tremendous leader.”

UMF’s other mainstays include senior forward Kate LaHaye of Belfast (7.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg), junior guard Brandi Rideout of Mattawamkeag (7.6 ppg), junior forward Melissa Sawyer of Oakland (7.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg), senior forward Desirae Haines of Lincoln (5.8 ppg), and junior guard Meagan Cyr of Howland (5.6 ppg).

Megan Boyd, Marissa McLeod of Hermon, Sophia Stanley, Katie Schwarz, Erin Johnson, Mary Berry of Norridgewock, and Katelyn Ross of Belfast also have contributed.

Depth has been a key factor in UMF’s success.

“We really want to try to get up and down the floor,” Beaudoin said. “We seem to have the ability to wear teams down and I think that comes from our efforts at the defensive end.”

The Beavers’ preferred style is man-to-man defense with frequent full-court pressure that hopefully leads to transition scoring opportunities.

They hope their efforts will result in another NAC title, a trip to the NCAAs, and a place among the top programs in the state and the region.

“We’ve had a nice string and hopefully we can keep it going, but it doesn’t get any easier,” Beaudoin said.

Husson baseball schedule tough

The Husson College baseball team will be playing its most ambitious schedule to date as it makes the move from NAIA to NCAA Division III this season.

Three of the teams ranked among the top seven in the country in Collegiate Baseball magazine’s preseason poll are included on the Eagles’ schedule.

Johns Hopkins University of Baltimore, ranked second in the current poll; Marietta College (Ohio), the No. 5 team; and Ed Flaherty’s University of Southern Maine Huskies, ranked seventh, will play the Eagles this spring.

Husson will face Marietta and Johns Hopkins on its spring trip to Florida, and the Eagles will host USM for a doubleheader on May 1 at John Winkin Complex.

Johns Hopkins was 40-4 last season, Marietta went 33-11, and USM compiled a 31-13-1 mark.

Collegiate Baseball magazine ranked the top 30 teams and also had a list entitled “Other Top Teams.”

Husson will play four of those “Other Top Teams:” Montclair State (N.J.), which went 25-16 a year ago; Ripon College (Wis.), which was 24-14; Suffolk University, Mass. (29-12), and Castleton State (Vt.), which had a 21-19 season.

The Eagles will face the first three on the spring trip and will host Castleton State for a pair on April 23.

“I’m really pleased with our spring trip in terms of what we’re trying to do,” said second-year head coach John Winkin. “Shifting from the NAIA to NCAA, we’re fortunate to be getting a schedule of that scope in the NCAA.”

The former University of Maine coach said he has always believed in playing a challenging spring trip schedule to prepare for the regular season.

“Our pitchers will benefit from facing good hitters and our hitters will benefit from facing good pitchers,” said Winkin. “That’s how you get better.”

Husson will play in the North Atlantic Conference this season with in-state schools Thomas College of Waterville, the University of Maine-Farmington, and St. Joseph’s of Standish along with Castleton State and Massachusetts schools Becker and Elms.

The conference tournament will be three single-elimination quarterfinal games followed by a four-team double-elimination format at the home field of the regular-season titlist, which will earn a quarterfinal-round bye.

Husson went 27-15 a year ago and won the NAIA Sunrise Conference Tournament at Winkin Complex.

“If we stay healthy, we should be pretty good this season,” said Winkin.