Bangor, Presque Isle find home in dome

The Bangor and Presque Isle softball teams had a scrimmage scheduled for Saturday afternoon, but when it became clear the weather wouldn’t exactly cooperate, the Rams and Wildcats turned to a new resource.

The teams played their scrimmage in the University of Maine’s Mahaney Dome, a bubble complex with artificial turf that went up in January next to UMaine’s softball stadium in Orono.

“I liked it,” said Presque Isle senior pitcher-shortstop Katie Delong. “It was just odd to be playing softball indoors.”

Saturday brought early rain followed by a cold wind, which would have made play outside tough.

Will Biberstein, the UMaine interim associate athletic director for internal affairs, said Bangor High called the university a few months ago and asked about the possibility of playing in the dome.

With Maine baseball on the road and the Black Bears softball team playing a doubleheader on its home Kessock Field, and with none of the campus recreation programs using the facility, Bangor and Presque Isle could play their scrimmage.

UMaine is charging $130 per hour, Biberstein said. That’s about what the Bouchard Dome charges, he added, stressing that the university isn’t trying to compete with the other dome in Hampden.

“We’re not actively trying to recruit people to come rent, but if a school calls and our varsity teams and campus recreation aren’t using it, we can do it if the schedules work out.”

Aside from playing indoors, the biggest difference between the dome and being outside may be the artificial grass FieldTurf surface.

“It’s different than dirt, obviously, but it didn’t seem to bother us too bad,” Delong said.

Wildcats heading to Disney

The Presque Isle softball team is getting ready for a spring break trip to Orlando, Fla., to take part in Disney’s Softball Spring Training.

The week in Florida won’t be all fun, although a three-day pass to the Disney theme parks is included in the cost of the trip.

Katie Delong said the Wildcats will be matched up with teams according to school size and skill level for games. The team will also have access to facilities such as fields and batting cages.

“I’m sure the skill level of the teams down there will be really high,” Delong said. “I think this is going to help us. It’ll give everyone a chance to settle into their positions and get us a lot of playing time.”

It’ll also be a warm way to welcome the season, especially for a team with a few patches of snow still on its field.

“We’re going from snow to about 80 degrees,” said Delong, who has never been to Walt Disney World. “Quite a few girls have been before, so I’m really excited.”

About 15 members of the team are going on the trip, which was planned by coach Alan Curtis. Delong said Curtis knew a coach from the southern part of the state who took a team to Disney Spring Training. Curtis began looking into the trip last year when the girls on the team told him they’d be interested in going.

The Wildcats are leaving Friday and will be back the following weekend.

The games and practices are held at the Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.

Other Maine teams scheduled to attend the Disney event include defending Class B state champ Winslow, Falmouth, St. Dominic of Auburn, Biddeford and Bonny Eagle of Standish. Teams can go during a number of weeks in March and April, but it’s likely the PI squad will run into other Maine teams because the statewide April vacation starts next week.

Fort Fairfield, Gorham, Lake Region of Naples, Massabesic of Waterboro, Poland, Scarborough, Wells and Yarmouth all attended the spring training last year.

The trip costs around $1,000 per player, Delong said.

Jessica Bloch can be reached at 990-8193, 1-800-310-8600 or jbloch@bangordailynews.net.