College baseball programs in the northern half of the country have forever sought ways to compete better with their southern counterparts.

Teams in warmer climates practice outside sooner, extend their schedules over a longer period and play more home games while enjoying better weather and field conditions.

A proposal by the NCAA may help schools such as the University of Maine level the playing field with the warm-weather programs.

The NCAA Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet has amended a proposal submitted last year by the Baseball Issues Committee to standardize the college baseball season.

If adopted, the changes would take effect during 2007-08.

The committee has recommended that the last Friday in February become the first permissible date for competition.

The existing disparity is evident in the case of the University of Miami, which played its first game this season Feb. 1 and had 13 games during the month. UMaine, which began practicing in the field house in January, didn’t get outside or play a game until Feb. 28.

The committee also favors establishing Feb. 1 as the first permissible practice date. At present, there is no limitation on when teams may begin practicing for the season.

“It will give us some semblance of equality even though they’ll still have an advantage,” said UMaine coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “I think it makes sense, if it does happen, because there’s no other team sport that doesn’t have a starting date.”

A uniform starting date will reduce the gap between the northern programs and the “sun belt” institutions. For example, by the time UMaine played its first home contest on April 16, Miami already had played 27 home games.

One proposal that was killed by the NCAA Board of Directors and subsequently dropped by the committee was the plan to delay by one or two weeks the start of the NCAA Tournament. That would have enabled northern teams to play more home games and league contests in warmer weather.

However, the added cost of housing and feeding student-athletes and the negative effect on summer baseball leagues doomed that plan.

The issues committee has recommended the championship dates remain the same, except for years in which the season, between the starting date and the beginning of the NCAAs, is less than 13 weeks.

Kostacopoulos said the changes could help college baseball market itself.

“I like that baseball kicks off all at once and that focus will be there,” he said. “I think the visibility of baseball is going to be greater in the future.”

Smith Freshman All-American

Curt Smith of Willemstad, Curacao, who was among UMaine’s the top players this spring, has been named a 2005 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball newspaper.

The 5-foot-10, 200-pound third baseman was second on the team with a .343 average, starting 52 of 54 games. He hit three home runs, 13 doubles, and a team-best five triples with 38 RBIs and 37 runs scored.

Smith, an America East All-Rookie selection, also stole 10 bases. He earned a spot on the NCAA All-Regional team at Oxford, Miss., where he batted .417 with two RBIs and four runs scored in three games.

“He really deserved it,” Kostacopoulos said. “I think time will prove out that he’s going to be a special player in this program.”

Smith is UMaine’s first Freshman All-American since Greg Norton in 2003. Others to earn the honor include Aaron Izaryk (2002), Mike Collar (2001), Joe Drapeau (2000), Mike Ross (1999), T.J. Sheedy (1995) and Mark Sweeney (1988).

Mahaney Diamond work likely

The UMaine baseball team delighted in playing on beautifully groomed Swayze Field at the University of Mississippi during the NCAA Tournament Oxford Regional last weekend.

It was a stark contrast to the time-worn and weather-ravaged playing surface at Mahaney Diamond in Orono.

UMaine athletic director Patrick Nero and Kostacopoulos are hoping the field will get a facelift sometime this year.

They plan to meet soon to talk about what work is needed at Mahaney Diamond. The field needs new drainage and fresh sod to be restored to its former luster.

Nero said recently it likely would cost in the neighborhood of $100,000 to make the needed improvements.

The facility, which features the Mahaney Clubhouse building, the press box that was expanded for 2004 and increased chair-back seating, is in otherwise excellent shape.

Bears gain All-New England nods

Three members of the UMaine baseball team were named to the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association Division I All-Star Team announced recently.

Senior designated hitter Greg Creek of Manchester, senior catcher Aaron Izaryk and sophomore pitcher Steve Richard were second-team selections on the 25-member squad.

The Bears’ representatives were unable to play in Sunday’s NEIBA All-Star Game against the Division II-III stars at Fenway Park in Boston as they were competing in the NCAA Tournament at Oxford, Miss.