ORONO – Embarking on their annual southern trip, members of the University of Maine baseball team awoke in Orono at 4 a.m. They rode the bus four hours to Boston, took a flight to Florida, then finally arrived at their hotel in Bradenton, after another 90-minute bus ride, a bit worn out.

As the team checked in, two elderly people prepared to climb the stairs to their second-floor room. Quietly, UMaine senior Aaron Izaryk scooped up their bags and carried them up to the door of the couple’s room.

“He represents what we want and what we hope for with players that we recruit,” said UMaine coach Paul Kostacopoulos said. “He’s just a rock-solid person.”

Izaryk, a senior co-captain, has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments at UMaine. The 5-foot-10, 195-pounder has again helped the Black Bears maintain their status as one of the top teams in America East and the Northeast.

UMaine’s starting catcher – and occasional second baseman – heads into this weekend’s conference series at Stony Brook batting .313 with four home runs and 25 runs batted in. The three-time All-America East selection has broken out of a lengthy slump to emerge as the Bears’ top hitter in conference play at .343.

Izaryk owns a .311 career batting average.

“He’s just one of those guys who can put the bat on the ball,” Kostacopoulos said. “He’s one of the very few players that I’ve coached who, on a regular basis, sizes up the pitcher and knows what he needs to do to be successful.”

While Izaryk’s offensive numbers only scratch the surface in terms of his on-field contributions, it is his commitment to excellence as a student-athlete and as a person that have helped make him a great ambassador for the program.

“Baseball puts so many things in perspective,” said Izaryk, a native of Markham, Ontario. “It’s a game of failure. If you can learn to fail and still be happy with yourself, then you can do pretty much anything.”

Izaryk doesn’t know much about failure. He uses the same structured approach in achieving success in the classroom and on the diamond.

Earlier this year, Izaryk earned the prestigious Dean Smith Award, which is given annually to UMaine’s top male and female student-athletes.

“I developed some good study habits,” Izaryk said. “Now it’s like a routine for me. If I have a test, I know when it is and I just prepare and not really think about it.”

Kostacopoulos marvels at Izaryk, whose work ethic, unselfishness and personality make him a positive influence in the clubhouse, across campus, and in the community.

“He has an impact on people around him and he makes the people around him better,” Kostacopoulos said. “He’s an example for people to work a little harder, do their school work, and that achievement has value.”

Izaryk isn’t a rah-rah leader, by any means. If a teammate approaches him for help, he’s more than willing to share his knowledge. He has a simple philosophy for baseball and for life in general.

“I’m just trying to set a good example for my teammates,” Izaryk said.

“I’m such a believer in doing the right thing,” he added. “Every decision you make can affect what you do that day or the rest of your life.”

Izaryk has been a fixture behind the plate for the Bears. He has an excellent rapport with his pitchers, who benefit from his ability to block stray pitches around the plate.

Opposing baserunners also have discovered Izaryk is difficult to run on, having succeeded on only 12 of 26 attempts (38 percent) this season.

“That’s a phenomenal statistic in college,” Kostacopoulos said. “He’s extremely accurate. He can get the ball to the bag and make it easy for people to put the tag on the runner.”

UMaine stumbled onto Izaryk when recruiting another player in Canada. While he didn’t have an imposing physical presence, he still made it felt on the field.

“When you spent a little time looking at him, you find out he’s everything that you want,” Kostacopoulos said.

Izaryk, who graduates today with a degree in kinesiology and physical education, hopes to student-teach next fall at a Bangor-area school. His dream is to continue playing baseball.

“Even if it’s just playing for paycheck to paycheck, just to pay the bills, you’re still getting paid to play baseball and that’s a dream of mine I’ve had for a long time,” Izaryk said.

His first priority is to help UMaine get back to the NCAA Tournament.

“We know there’s not much time left, but we know it’s time to go, too,” Izaryk said. “Now’s not the time to exhale because we’re tied for second place. Now’s the time to pick it up and work toward first place.”