Steve Trimper has only been working with the University of Maine baseball team on the field for about three weeks, but the Black Bears’ first-year coach is excited about the veteran group.

Trimper, who was hired Aug. 18 to replace Paul Kostacopoulos, who took the job at the U.S. Naval Academy, has been putting the team through its paces.

“I couldn’t have asked for a more smooth transition,” said Trimper, who came to UMaine from Manhattan College.

“The kids are extremely hardworking and motivated and we have tremendous senior leadership,” he said. “They, like myself, have one common goal: To win as many games as we can, win a conference championship and get to the NCAA Regionals.”

Trimper, who has been preaching hard work as the key to UMaine’s success, wants his team to stay motivated as it defends its America East title.

As part of the evaluation process during the fall season, Trimper has scheduled two games. UMaine is slated to face Husson College of Bangor for a noon doubleheader on Oct. 8.

“I think fall ball is extremely important,” Trimper said. “Against outside competition, you really get a true test of your kids.”

Trimper thanked Husson coach John Winkin for agreeing to play the fall games. The two are acquainted through Trimper’s four-year stint as an assistant at Vermont while Winkin coached at UMaine and through their work with the American Baseball Coaches Association.

While Division I teams are allowed 56 games, Trimper opted to use a couple of those contests this fall, citing the likelihood of losing games in the spring to inclement weather anyway.

Trimper hopes the exhibition twinbill will give UMaine fans and boosters a chance to get together one final time this season while gearing up for the major league postseason chase that hopefully will include a Red Sox victory over the Yankees.

Bears name 4 baseball captains

Trimper has announced Joel Barrett, Joe Hough, Ryan Quintal, and Scott Robinson as the captains for 2006.

Seniors Quintal, Hough, and Robinson, along with Barrett, a junior from Brewer, all were instrumental in the 35-19 Black Bears’ run to the America East championship and an NCAA Regional berth last season.

Barrett, the first baseman, batted .340 with seven home runs and 43 RBIs last spring. Hough, who played center field, hit .336 with a team-high 55 runs scored and 21 stolen bases with six homers and 36 RBIs.

Quintal was one of two Bears to play in all 54 games last season. He hit .335 with seven homers and 49 RBIs. Robinson was among UMaine’s most valuable pitchers, going 2-2 with nine saves while setting the school single-season record with 29 appearances.

UMaine to open at Ole Miss

The UMaine baseball team will begin its 2006 season at the same venue it ended the 2005 campaign.

While the Black Bears’ full schedule has not been announced, they will open next season with a three-game series at the University of Mississippi.

“Obviously, they’re an SEC [Southeastern Conference] team, had a great team last year and are potentially a Top-10 team in the country,” Trimper said. “We’ll go down, evaluate ourselves and play some great competition.”

UMaine travels to Oxford, Miss., for single games Feb. 24, 25 and 26 at Oxford-University Stadium. The Bears went 1-2 there in Regional play last June, beating Southern Mississippi for UMaine’s first NCAA Tournament victory in 14 years.

The series at Ole Miss comes a week earlier than UMaine’s usual start. After a week back at classes, the Bears depart for Florida and a two-week spring break swing.

Husson developing young hurlers

Developing his first-year pitchers has been the focal point of the fall baseball program at Bangor’s Husson College according to third-year head coach John Winkin.

Winkin has six pitchers who will make their college debuts next spring and all of them played Zone 1 American Legion baseball this past summer.

Bangor’s Josh Young and Anthony DeRosa; Hampden’s Chris Pease; Presque Isle’s Chad Lavway; Trenton’s Dan Hilts, and Lincoln’s Gerry Worster, will be vying for the Nos. 3-4-5 spots in the rotation. Those who aren’t in the rotation will see bullpen duty.

“This is the biggest group of first-year pitchers I’ve had here. And they’ve looked pretty good,” said Winkin who assisted John Kolasinski for seven years before succeeding him.

Barrett Dionne is the first-year pitching coach and fellow newcomer Billy Kane will be the first base coach, recruiting coordinator and he will also work with the catchers. Bain Pollard returns as the hitting coach.

Travis Tripp and Bob Webber return as the top two starters. James Gray, Keith Nason, Cody Thompson, Sam Adolphsen and closer Jon Tefft are also back prompting Winkin to say “the potential is there to have a pretty good Division III pitching staff.”

A solid nucleus of everyday players includes shortstop Jason Harvey, DH-1B Sean Brawn, RF Chris McInnis, CF Justin Spencer and 3B Adam Sheehan.

UMaine slates field hockey clinic

University of Maine head field hockey coach Terry Kix and Louis Mendonca, the assistant coach of the Canadian Men’s National Field Hockey Team, are joining forces for a youth clinic Sunday, Oct. 2.

The clinic, hosted by Kix, Mendonca and the Black Bear field hockey team, is designed to help young players develop their skills. The three-hour session will begin at 3 p.m., upon completion of UMaine’s America East home game against Albany on Morse Field.

The clinic fee is $25, which includes a team photo and the chance to have it autographed by the Bears.

For information, call UMaine assistant coach Andrea Thebarge at 581-1083.