The pitching staff continues to be a bit of a work in progress for the University of Maine baseball team.

However, with senior Scott Robinson setting the tone the Black Bears are gradually gaining the experience needed to field a more seasoned and deep staff heading into the second half of the America East season.

Coach Steve Trimper’s UMaine squad showed more signs some of its young pitchers are rounding into shape during its league split at Binghamton.

“Robinson and [Mike] Powers had the best two pitching performances of the year for us and just really kept [Binghamton] off-balance,” Trimper said.

Robinson (7-2) pitched a four-hit shutout in Friday’s opener to earn AE Pitcher of the Week honors. The righthander is 4-0 with a 2.70 earned run average since joining the starting rotation April 7.

“He’s just a very mentally tough kid and he’s happy-go-lucky,” Trimper said. “He’s got that attitude that he just wants to win. He’s going to do whatever it takes to help the team.”

The Bears (26-13-1) returned to Orono in second place in the league standings at 7-3, one game behind Vermont (9-3).

Freshman Mike Powers of Portland also pitched his best game thus far in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. He fashioned a five-hitter, allowing only one unearned run.

The righthander, who appeared in only one game last spring for Deering High before missing the rest of 2005 with a shoulder injury, has shown steady improvement.

“Mike has gotten better every single time he’s been out there, coupled with this time, where he had the most [mound] presence,” Trimper said. “It was probably the most positive thing to come out of the weekend, coupled with the two wins.”

Junior Josh Zyskowski and sophomore Nolan Boike didn’t fare as well. Zyskowski worked four innings in Saturday’s second game, while Boike walked three and lasted only 1 1/3 innings in Sunday’s loss.

Freshman righty A.J. Balsinde picked up Boike, allowing only three hits and two runs in 5 1/3 innings of relief.

Balsinde had worked 2 2/3 hitless innings of relief with five strikeouts last Wednesday against Holy Cross at Sanford.

“A.J. came through for us again,” Trimper said. “He’s been a big surprise for us.”

Senior Troy Martin, who has been coming out of the bullpen the past month, has been solid. He’s 1-0 with a 1.84 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings in America East play.

“We need him down the stretch,” Trimper said.

The Bears also have gotten good efforts from Jose Mendoza, Jason Weymouth of Charleston and Mitch Clegg.

UMaine wasn’t able to maintain its offensive production last weekend against the league’s top pitching team.

The Bears managed only eight runs in four games and were shut out once. They left numerous runners in scoring position.

“All year long, if our pitchers hold us in the game, we’ve usually been coming out on top,” Trimper said. “It was one of the few times this year that we didn’t get that big hit.”