Bears softball opens play today UM welcomes new coach, year

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ORONO – The University of Maine softball team opens play this week with a number of new faces.

And at the same time, the Black Bears have some of the same faces back.

UMaine welcomes back its top pitcher, Sarah Bennis of Pownal, and shortstop and top offensive player, Brittany Cheney. First-year head coach Stacey Sullivan, who played for Maine from 1996 to 1999, said she followed the team from her former post as the head coach at Merrimack College.

“I knew exactly what I had coming in and what they were capable of doing, what they had done in the past,” Sullivan said during practice this week in the new Mahaney Dome. “I was very well aware of Sarah Bennis and Brittany Cheney and what they’ve done for the program. It was reassuring knowing I was coming in with some strong leaders.”

The Black Bears open play today against East Tennessee State in Chattanooga, Tenn. After they finish a tournament in Tennessee they’ll head for two Florida tournaments before opening at home March 25 with a doubleheader against Merrimack.

Bennis and Cheney will form the backbone of an experienced team that needs to replace the top of its lineup as well as two infield spots and a hole at centerfield.

With center fielder Jess Brady and third baseman Lauren Dulkis leading off the order last year, the Bears had a lot of speed. Brady is the school’s career stolen bases leader and had 23 last year.

Sullivan is hoping freshman Ashley Waters will help fill the speed void. Waters will start at second base and will bat leadoff.

“She’s shown us through the last six months that she can play,” Sullivan said. “She can do it all. She’s quick on the bases, she a smart hitter and a talented infielder.”

Cheney, who will again anchor the infield and returns after a season in which she batted .317 and had 20 RBIs to lead the Bears in both categories, is eager to work with the freshman.

“Ashley Waters is very, very fast,” said Cheney, a likely conference player of the year candidate. “She’s not a slapper, and we don’t have any in the starting lineup so it’s going to be tough in that sense, so we’re just going to have to put the ball in play and we have a lineup that it capable of doing that.”

Another speed addition to the lineup will be Tara Vilardo, a junior who appeared in 29 games last year, mostly as a pinch-runner. She’ll vie with freshman Courtney Gingrich for the start at third base.

The outfield will look quite a bit different this year with Brady’s graduation, although the early season lineup is made up of three experienced outfielders. Right fielder Dana Grimm will move to center and former second-baseman left fielder Erin Provost now in right. Left fielder Molly McKinney will remain there.

“She’s worked very hard transitioning, playing with two outfielders on either side of her,” Sullivan said of Grimm’s move. “She’s put in a lot of time trying to get herself situated out there.”

Bennis, who emerged as the team’s pitching ace late in the 2004 season, returns after a season in which her 1.87 earned run average was second lowest in America East and her 140 strikeouts led the conference.

She’ll be backed up by Jenna Balent, a redshirt freshman who dealt with mononucleosis last year but spent a lot of time throwing on the side and working on her pitches.

“She’s definitely stepped it up. She has a lot of practice experience and she’s pitched to us a lot,” Bennis said. “Just being here and adjusting to Maine for two years will help her.”

Gingrich will also vie for some pitching starts and the Bears are hoping she’ll add some power to the lineup. DH-1B Amy Kuhl (.250, 12 RBIs, 10 doubles) was Maine’s top pure power threat last year, and she’ll DH most games this season.

First baseman Kristie Hawkins of Portland and catcher Maggie Soule will get the start in those positions. Soule played in 22 games last year and started when Lindsay Tibbetts suffered a sprained ankle late in the season.

The Maine players are hoping their practices and scrimmages on the dome’s artificial-turf surface will pay off, especially against southern teams that have already been outside.

“It makes us a lot more versatile in practice and makes team defense easier,” Cheney said. “It’s more of a realistic bounce. It’s a big resource that we have.”

FEBRUARY

February 24-26 in Tennessee

24 – vs. East Tennessee State (2), 10 a.m.

25 – vs. Miami (OH), 10 a.m.

25 – vs. Bowling Green, 2:30 p.m.

26 – vs. Virginia, 9 a.m.

26 – at Chattanooga, 1:30 p.m.

MARCH

March 4-18 in Florida

4 – vs. IPFW (2), 8:50 a.m.

5 – vs. Valparaiso, 10:40 a.m.

5 – vs. St. Peter’s, 12:30 p.m.

6 – vs. Holy Cross, 10:40 a.m.

6 – vs. Saint Joseph’s, 2:20 p.m.

8 – vs. Toledo, 4:10 p.m.

8 – vs. Providence, 6 p.m.

9 – vs. Lehigh, 2:20 p.m.

9 – vs. Tennessee State, 6 p.m.

11 – vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, 8:50 a.m.

11 – vs. Colgate, 12:30 p.m.

14 – vs. Columbia, 8:50 a.m.

14 – vs. Tennessee-Martin, 10:40 a.m.

15 – vs. Lafayette, 12:30 p.m.

15 – vs. Cleveland St., 4:10 p.m.

17 – vs. Canisius, 11 a.m.

17 – vs. Florida International, 1 p.m.

18 – vs. Elon, 11 a.m.

25 – Merrimack (2), 1 p.m.

APRIL

1 – at Stony Brook (2), noon.

2 – at Stony Brook, 11 a.m.

8 – Vermont (2), noon.

9 – Vermont, noon.

12 – at Boston Univ. (2), 1 p.m.

13 – at Boston College, 3 p.m.

14 – at Albany (2), TBA.

15 – at Albany, TBA.

18 – Colby, 4 p.m.

22 – at Hartford (2), 1 p.m.

23 – at Hartford, noon.

26 – Boston Univ., 1 p.m.

29 – Binghamton (2), 1 p.m.

30 – Binghamton, noon

MAY

2 – at UMass (2), 3 p.m.

5 – UMBC (2), 2:30 p.m.

6 – UMBC, 11 a.m.