Marc Halsted and Matt Haney were playing in the Portland Twilight League two summers ago when they began discussing putting together a team from the Bangor area.

“We both wanted to coach a little bit and we wanted to give kids in our area an opportunity to play summer baseball in the best league in the state,” said Halsted. “They get to use wooden bats and face good competition. There are a lot of college players, ex-minor leaguers, and ex-University of Maine players.”

Halsted began recruiting players in March and, last Sunday, Worcester Peat became the first Bangor-area team to play in the Portland Twilight League in the modern era. Worcester Peat, which split a twinbill with Yankee Ford at Brewer’s Heddericg Field, is the name of one of sponsor Morrill Worcester’s businesses.

The other sponsors are Machias Savings Bank and Ryder Truck.

There are seven teams in the league and each will play 30 league games. Every team qualifies for the playoffs. Worcester Peat will host five more Sunday doubleheaders at Heddericg Field.

The team will play single nine-inning games on weeknights at 7 in the Portland area and seven-inning Sunday afternoon doubleheaders at 1.

Three of the 17 players live in central Maine but the others are in eastern Maine.

“Everybody will get 15-20 at-bats a week against quality pitching with wooden bats. That’s how you improve: repetition against good competition,” said Halsted. “To make this work, you need nine or 10 kids who are committed [to playing every game] and that’s what we have. We’ve got a great group of kids.”

Haney said the wooden bats were a valuable drawing card.

“Guys were intrigued by it. You watch major league players hit with the wooden bats and here’s a chance to experience what they do. It’s more challenging. You really have to hit a ball well,” said Haney.

“It makes you a better metal bat hitter because it forces you to be more mechanically sound and it increases your bat speed,” said Halsted.

Halsted and Haney are player-coaches, although Halsted said he is more like a general manager who handles administrative responsibilities and Haney is more of the coach.

Besides Orono’s Halsted and Blue Hill’s Haney, who recently concluded their University of Maine careers, the players are former Bucksport High School standouts Greg Gobel [currently at the University of Maine] and Steve Smith [Springfield College]; Hampden Academy’s Matt Gilbert and Chris Knickerbocker [Skusquehanna, Pa.]; Orono’s Robey Rhoads [Brandeis] and Mike Perry [Husson]; Old Town’s Bryan Goody; Narraguagus of Harrington’s Rob Worcester [Maine]; Stearns of Millinocket’s Steve Osborne [St. Joseph’s]; and Brewer’s Aaron Largay [Husson].

Halsted expects the team to finish in the top half of the league because of its “very deep pitching staff, good defense, and ton of team speed.”

Twilight League Commissioner Alan Livingston said having Worcester Peat in the league is “healthy for baseball in the state. We will try to accommodate them the best we can. I expect them to compete real well.”