UM softball plays today; NAC resumes Thursday

ORONO – The University of Maine’s softball doubleheader against Stony Brook was postponed for the second time this weekend, but the idle Black Bears still sewed up a berth in the four-team America East tournament that starts May 12.

In college baseball action, rain also postponed the North Atlantic Conference tourney at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish to Thursday and Friday.

Maine will make up its softball doubleheader against Stony Brook with two games Monday at Kessock Field starting at 11 a.m.

The Black Bears are assured of a playoff spot because of Boston University’s sweep of Hartford and Albany’s sweep of Maryland Baltimore County this weekend.

If Maine can win at least one game against the Seawolves today, the Bears will go into the tourney as the third seed. A Stony Brook sweep means Maine will be No. 4. The Bears were the fourth seed last year but ended up winning the conference title.

Albany (17-2 in America East) is the top seed and BU (14-4) is the No. 2 seed. Maine is 9-7 heading into Monday’s games, while Stony Brook is 9-9.

Stony Brook is hosting the conference tourney at its University Field.

The Bears’ series against Stony Brook was originally set for a doubleheader Saturday and single game Sunday, but rain pushed that schedule forward one day, and then rain Sunday pushed the doubleheader to Monday.

At Saint Joseph’s College, Husson of Bangor will resume the double-elimination tourney in a losers’ bracket game at 10 a.m. Thursday against Castleton State (Vt.). St. Joseph’s takes on Becker (Mass.) College in the second game at 2 p.m., followed by the winner of the day’s first game against the loser of the second game in the nightcap at 6 p.m.

The championship game will be played at 10 a.m. Friday with an if-necessary game to follow.