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The College World Series begins this weekend. But John Winkin won’t be there.
The former University of Maine baseball coach is recuperating in a Waterville facility after collapsing during a jog in December.
Winkin, who was the head coach at Husson College, always attended the CWS after serving as the tournament director at NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals.
Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium was like home to him.
When he took five Maine teams to Omaha in a six-year span (1981-86), you couldn’t wipe the grin off his face.
He was like the youngster coming downstairs on Christmas morning finding the bicycle he had dreamed about.
The Black Bears were the darlings of Omaha: the kids from the frozen north who defied all odds in earning a berth among the nation’s elite programs.
And Winkin was the architect.
They went directly from practice inside the stuffy and cramped field house to a grueling spring trip that would get them battle-tested for the New England portion of the schedule.
They would win the ECAC Tournament and go on to claim a Northeast Regional – four of which were played at their Mahaney Diamond – which earned them the trip to Omaha.
The late Jack Butterfield built the foundation for Maine’s success and Winkin was able to take it to the next level by selling the program and its importance to wealthy benefactors like Harold Alfond, Bill Palmer and Larry Mahaney.
He supplied them with a blueprint for success, including the addition of athletic scholarships and attractive spring trips that would serve as a valuable recruiting tool as well as a vital developmental experience.
The scholarships certainly helped them dominate the East because most of the schools in the ECAC and NCAA Regional tournaments didn’t have as many scholarships as Maine.
Winkin also knew how to court the media. He was a former sports radio personality and would be very accommodating.
He knew media coverage helped him sell his program.
He also developed friendships with powerful coaches like Miami’s Ron Fraser and Oklahoma State’s Gary Ward, who brought their highly ranked teams to Orono for regular season series.
The trips to Omaha were always memorable.
The atmosphere was surrealistic – larger than life.
ESPN was preparing to televise the games and their camera people were everywhere. The press box was spacious and you marveled as the stadium filled with local people who embraced the tournament.
Rarely did they have a team to cheer for – Creighton University and the University of Nebraska rarely qualified – but they often cheered for the underdog.
And Maine was always the underdog.
The victories over Cal State Fullerton and Stanford in 1982, producing a third-place finish, were the highlights.
The 8-7 loss to Arizona in 1986, Maine’s last CWS appearance, was the lowlight as Maine squandered a 7-0 lead in the last two innings after ace righty Scott Morse was lifted.
Morse had been sick leading up to the game but was able to toss seven shutout innings before the bullpen imploded.
Rubbing salt into the wound was the fact Arizona went on to win the national title.
Here’s hoping Winkin’s health improves to the point he can return to Omaha next year.
lmahoney@bangordailynews.net
990-8231
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