AUBURN – A strong Maine presence dominated the leader board of the Maine Open Golf Championship after Wednesday’s second round at Fox Ridge Golf Club.

Shawn Warren of Windham, a first-year pro who won this tournament as an amateur in 2004, leads once again after shooting a 2-under-par 70 for a two-day total of 3-under-par 141.

He leads by a stroke over first-round co-leaders Mark Baldwin of Laconia, N.H., and Todd Westfall of Clendenin, W.Va. They each shot 73 Wednesday for their 142s.

Amateur Toby Spector of Waterville heads a group of four at 143, including host pro Bob Darling Jr. of Lewiston and Jerry Diphilippo of Gorham. Brian Medley of Albuquerque, N.M., is the fourth. Spector shot 68 Wednesday, Diphilippo 69, Medley 70, and Darling 71.

Among other notable scores were Rich Parker of Lebanon, N.H., with a tournament-best 66 for 144, and defending champion Ricky Jones of Thomaston with 71 for 145.

The cut to get to today’s 18-hole finish was 152 for the pros and 159 for the amateurs.

Warren, who defeated Westfall in a four-hole playoff in ’04 when the third round was washed out, is happy to be out in front again.

“I’d much rather be leading than anywhere else,” he said. “They have to come get me.

“If they catch me, so be it.”

Spector also sees himself as being in good shape for his bid to become the third amateur to win the Maine Open in the last four years.

“I’ve had this thing where I’d shoot myself out of it in the first round,” said Spector. “I think 75 yesterday kept me in it.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun. I can’t ask for better.”

Diphilippo, also a past champion (1995), said, “It’s always nice to have a chance to try and win again.”

Baldwin and Westfall won’t roll over for the Maine players.

“I’m happy I was able to stay in contention with my ‘C’ game,” said Baldwin.

“I’m disappointed but not discouraged,” said Westfall, who has become a good friend of Warren since their playoff. “[The course] was out there for the taking.”

Westfall pointed to helpful weather as the reason.

“It was perfect scoring conditions. It was overcast with soft greens,” he said. “Maybe I pressed a little too hard.”

Some did take advantage of the opportunity.

Spector had trouble hitting greens Tuesday when the wind was up, but Wednesday was just the opposite with no or little wind.

“Today, I was hitting [within] 10 to 20 feet all day. That made it a lot easier,” he said.

He bogeyed the first hole, but birdied Nos. 3 and 4. He thought if he made the turn at 1 under par, that would be good.

“Then I birdied 8 and 9, too, so that was pretty good,” said Spector, who has already achieved a level of success on the collegiate front at Skidmore College that could keep him from being intimidated by the company he’s keeping.

“We’re ranked in the top 10 (NCAA Division III), and I’m going to be captain this year,” he said. “I’ve won four times, been All-American twice, and my scoring average the last two years was the lowest in the Northeast.”

Diphilippo also noted the difference between this year and last year.

“The greens are holding,” he said. “They’re softer than they were last year. You could throw the ball at the pins more.”

After missing a 2-foot putt on No. 8 that would have given him his first birdie, he proceeded to birdie 9, 10 and 14.

Bogeys on 15 and 17 set him back a bit, but he finished strong with an eagle 3 on 18.

Warren was under par but not as much as he thought he should be.

“This is the first time … I ever played the course where the wind didn’t blow,” said Warren. “Not until near the end.”

He birdied 2, 4, 6, 13 and 18, but bogeyed 5 and 7 with three-putts and also bogeyed 13.

“You try so hard to make birdie you want to keep it going. You don’t want to give them away with three-putts,” Warren said.