The Lee Academy baseball team accomplished something new last spring – its first Class D state championship.

But the Pandas graduated eight seniors from that 19-1 team, a contingent including seven starters led by infielder Tyler Thompson, who amassed more than 100 hits and 100 RBIs during his career, and pitcher Charlie Boulrisse, who no-hit Richmond in the 2006 Class D state final.

Such change has left third-year head coach Dave Hainer facing something new this spring.

“There’s a totally different atmosphere this year,” he said. “There’s open competition all around. Even though coaches say every year that spots are up for grabs, they usually go into it knowing pretty much who’s going to play where. But this year I can honestly say I don’t know that yet.”

What Lee does return is a level of recent baseball tradition few of its Class D rivals can match, as evidenced by its three Eastern Maine titles in the last five years. One residual effect of that success revealed itself during the Pandas’ opening day of practice Monday.

“I only had eight kids coming back from last year’s team, but we had 24 players come out for the team,” Hainer said. “We had some upperclassmen come out who didn’t play last year, and I think there’s a lot of kids who want to see the program continue to succeed and who see a chance to contribute.”

Two full-time starters from a year ago return to lead the new-look Pandas, senior center fielder Derek Worster and junior left fielder Kyle McLeod.

Other veterans include senior Travis Linscott, the most experienced pitcher on the roster, and junior third baseman Brandon Crocker. Sophomore catcher Dean MacDonald also is expected to make an immediate impact.

Beyond that group Hainer anticipates plenty of competition among upperclassmen and some talented younger players in an effort to crack the starting lineup and lead Lee back into postseason contention.

“It’s definitely different this year,” he said. “It’s going to be fun to watch guys step up over the next couple of weeks.”

Lee, which will move up to Class C next year, plays a mix of Class C and Class D opponents. The Pandas open their season April 20 at Deer Isle-Stonington in a matchup of the last two Class D state champions. Other Class D foes are Katahdin of Stacyville, Woodland and Bangor Christian, while Piscataquis of Guilford, Dexter, Penobscot Valley of Howland and Calais are Class C teams on the Pandas’ schedule.

2 divisions proposed for PTC ‘A’

Pine Tree Conference athletic administrators will vote at their next meeting on final approval of a two-division format for the league?s Class A football teams beginning this fall.

The change is a result of the PTC Class A expanding from 11 to 12 teams with the elevation of Brewer from the Class B ranks.

Under the proposal, Bangor, Brewer, Skowhegan, Messalonskee of Oakland, Lawrence of Fairfield and Mt. Blue of Farmington would be in the PTC Class A North. Brunswick, Cony of Augusta, Edward Little of Auburn, Lewiston, Mount Ararat of Topsham and Oxford Hills of South Paris would play in the PTC Class A South.

Each team would play all other teams in its division, as well as three additional games against opponents from the opposite division for a total of eight regular-season contests.

Under the proposed schedule, Bangor would face southern division foes Brunswick, Edward Little and Lewiston in addition to its northern division foes. Brewer would face southern division teams Cony, Mount Ararat and Oxford Hills.

In addition, there is a “rivalry week” on the final weekend of the season, which in the northern division will pit Messalonskee against Lawrence, Skowhegan against Mt. Blue, and the renewal of the Bangor-Brewer rivalry.

This year’s Bangor-Brewer game, scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 19-20, will mark the first time these teams have met since 1998 and the 100th game in the history of the rivalry. Bangor leads the series 72-19-8.

The regular season will be followed by an eight-team regional playoff leading to the Class A state championship game, scheduled for Nov. 17 at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland.

The new format represents a significant change from the last two years. When the PTC had just 11 Class A teams each school was required to take a bye week, and just four teams qualified for postseason play.

Before that the PTC Class A ranks stood at 14 teams, but Gardiner and Waterville dropped to Class B after the 2004 season and Windham switched to Western Maine Class A and the Southern Maine Activities Association.

Dragons’ Smith wins Roy award

Kit Smith, a senior forward from Brunswick High School, recently was honored by the Maine Class A Hockey Coaches Association as the 2007 recipient of the Travis Roy Award.

Established in 1996, the award is named for the Yarmouth native and former North Yarmouth Academy and Tabor Academy hockey standout who suffered injuries 11 seconds into his first shift with the Boston University hockey team in 1995 that left him paralyzed.

The award is presented each year to the top senior player in Class A who also excels academically and in the community.

Smith had 25 goals and 16 assists during the 2006-07 regular season, leading Brunswick to a 14-6 record and the No. 1 seed in Eastern Maine Class A. The Dragons then defeated Lawrence of Fairfield in their regional quarterfinal before losing to eventual state champion Lewiston in the semifinals.

Smith subsequently was named to the Eastern Maine Class A All-State team.

Other finalists for the Travis Roy Award were forwards Brent Mayo of Scarborough and James Tolan of Falmouth.