With the Eastern Maine Class A tournament effectively blacked out on television until the regional finals round next week, University of Maine sports will take center stage this weekend.

On Friday, Bangor TV station WABI (Channel 5) will televise Maine hockey’s home game against Boston University Friday at 7 p.m. On Sunday, both Bangor’s WVII (Ch. 7) and New England Sports Network will be airing live coverage of the Maine men’s basketball game at Hartford.

ESPN radio announcer and University of Connecticut TV announcer Bob Picozzi will handle play-by-play while the color analyst is former St. Bonaventure men’s coach and current Atlantic 10 Conference supervisor of officials Jim Satalin.

“We were fortunate enough to hit NESN where we could clear every game on the schedule with them except one this year, and we’re also able to clear them for local stations as well, so this allows a lot more people to be able to see these games,” said Matt Bourque, America East assistant commissioner for communications.

Bourque was pressed into duty that isn’t listed in his job description last week. He served as impromptu color analyst for last week’s Northeastern-Binghamton men’s game after color man Jack Armstrong’s plane was fogged in at Knoxville, Tenn.

“To be honest with you, I loved it because [former WVII sports director] Eric Frede was doing play-by-play and I’ve known him since his Channel 7 days,” Bourque said. “So it worked out well and was a lot of fun.”

The Maine-Hartford game is the 11th game on America East’s 16-game schedule, which includes five upcoming men’s and women’s postseason games (conference semifinals and women’s final).

Back to the old barn

The upper portion of the bleachers and lower portions of the balcony sections in the Bangor Auditorium will once again be dotted by broadcast crews from radio stations the next couple days.

Stations from northern, eastern, and central Maine will be on hand to provide live coverage of Friday’s Class B state championship games and/or Friday and Saturday’s Eastern Maine Class A quarterfinal games.

Longtime announcer Mike Violette of Waterville will be among them, as he has been for the better part of the last two decades. He will broadcast games involving Augusta-Waterville area teams for Skowhegan’s WSKW (1160 AM), Augusta’s WFAU (1280 AM), Madison’s WIGY (97.5 FM), and Fairfield’s WCTB (93.5 FM).

“The winter’s a blur after Christmas,” said Violette, who also hosts a morning show from 6 to 9 a.m. weekdays on Howland-licensed WVOM (103.9 FM).

Violette, also the program director for WHQO Skowhegan (107.9 FM) and Boothbay’s WCME (96.7 FM), used his trademark candor when asked how he likes broadcasting from the Bangor Auditorium.

“I hate working there with the cramped quarters because we’re two kind of large men sitting at this old, crotchety table, and fans unplugging the power cord and stuff,” Violette said. “Look, I understand the mystique of the Auditorium, but I feel the same way about it that I do about Fenway: Put a match to it and blow it up.”

Violette tempered his view somewhat by admitting the Auditorium is a fun place for fans to experience games.

“From an atmosphere standpoint, you can’t beat that place. It’s great,” he said. “But from a comfort and nuance standpoint, it’s not that good.”

Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600, or aneff@bangordailynews.net