College baseball

MAINE vs. VERMONT

Time, site: Saturday (2), Sunday, noon; Mahaney Diamond, Orono

Records: Maine 23-11 (6-3 America East); Vermont 18-11 (7-2)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 80-46, Maine 14-4 on 5/2/04

Top hitters – Vermont: 3B Miguel Magrass (.349, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 12 SB), RF Kyle Brault (.324, 5 HR, 28 RBI), 1B Jay Iannoni (.316, 10 RBI); Maine (stats through April 28): LF Ryan Quintal (.381, 5 HR, 30 RBI), 1B Joel Barrett (.365, 5 HR, 29 RBI), DH Greg Creek (.359, 5 HR, 16 RBI), 3B Curt Smith (.353, 15 RBI, 10 SB), RF Joe Hough (.295, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 19 SB)

Possible Pitching Matchups

Vermont Catamounts Maine Black Bears

ERA W-L Ks ERA W-L Ks

LH Derek Miller 1.31 4-1 60 RH Steve Richard 1.85 5-0 60

LH Chris Blazek 2.34 3-2 66 RH Greg Norton 3.40 6-2 43

LH Joe Serafin 0.89 5-0 36 RH Troy Martin 4.46 5-2 27

Outlook: The Bears will battle for the league lead against the Catamounts. Vermont features AE’s top pitching staff, which has posted a 3.19 ERA and 264 strikeouts in 231 innings. The Catamounts’ weekend starters have an impressive combined ERA of 1.57. Maine hopes to get its offense clicking, despite a lackluster .250 team batting average in nine AE games. UVM isn’t an offensive juggernaut but knows how to manufacture runs by advancing runners and being smart on the basepaths.