College baseball

MAINE vs. VERMONT

Time, site: Saturday (2), 1 p.m.; Sunday (2), 1 p.m.; Centennial Field, Burlington, Vt.

Records: Maine 18-23-1 (6-10 America East); Vermont 21-20 (7-9)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 91-52, Maine 8-1 on 5/6/07

Key players: Maine – 1B Curt Smith (.395, 11 HR, 33 RBIs, 52 R, 11 SB), DH Myckie Lugbauer (.391, 4 HR, 38 RBIs, 19 doubles), CF Billy Cather (.337, 3 HR, 25 RBIs, 14 SB), 3B Jarrett Lukas (.336, 4 HR, 25 RBIs), SS Tony Patane (.313, 3 HR, 32 RBIs); Vermont – RF Ethan Paquette (.338, 1HR, 30 RBIs), DH Justin Milo (.338, 5 HR, 35 RBIs, 9 SB), SS Matt Duffy (.313, 3 HR, 26 RBIs), 3B Miguel Magrass (.312, 5 HR, 35 RBIs), CF Mark Micowski (.301, 17 RBIs, 16 SB)

Possible Pitching Matchups

Maine Black Bears Vermont Catamounts

ERA W-L Ks ERA W-L Ks

LH Kevin Scanlan 3.93 2-4 62 LH Joe Serafin 2.83 5-3 42

RH Matt Jebb 4.25 2-4 59 LH Eric Thompson 4.66 4-1 27

RH Joe Miller 3.53 4-2 45 RH Keith Rakus 5.11 3-4 40

RH Alejandro Balsinde 4.46 2-5 19 LH Justin Albert 4.29 3-4 40

Outlook: The sixth-place Black Bears enter this series likely needing three victories to stay in the thick of the America East playoff race. The Catamounts, who are fifth, also are fighting for a postseason spot. UMaine has won two in a row after five straight losses, and the Bears have taken six of the last seven from UVM. The Catamounts have dropped three straight, going 1-3 against Binghamton last weekend. Smith boasts an 11-game hit streak and Cather has hit in nine straight.