As a high school baseball coach in Maine, Dave Morris is accustomed to starting the season indoors. In fact, the Brewer skipper can’t imagine starting the season any differently.

“I think we have an advantage over some programs,” Morris said Monday. “We can focus a little more on fundamentals in a smaller space. I like that week. Right off the bat, not worrying about going outside and doing things in a larger area, it’s easier to do in a smaller area.”

Student-athletes in the spring sports of baseball, softball, tennis, track and field, and lacrosse have been practicing for more than a week. Baseball and softball pitchers and catchers were allowed to report March 17; the rest of the teams began practice March 24.

Heddericg Field, the Witches’ home park, is clear of snow in patches but wet almost everywhere. Same thing with Coffin Field, which is where the Brewer softball team plays.

Most of Brewer’s teams were inside Monday, running the school’s halls to escape snow flurries outside.

The Witches have six exhibition games scheduled for next week. Sometimes, Morris said, teams just agree to play wherever the field is the driest, even if a team has to travel when it was scheduled to be home.

“We’re hoping to play next Tuesday, whether it’s here or down in Winslow, so we’re praying for some warm weather,” he said. “It’s relative. It always seems to dry up quicker than you think. We try to be optimistic about it, I guess.”

The Witches will head to Cape Cod, Mass., and Boston for the upcoming spring break. The team will play some exhibition games and attend a Red Sox game against the Toronto Blue Jays – the new club of former UMaine star Mike Bordick – at Fenway Park.

“I have a great group to do that with,” Morris said. “This senior group is going to be good to travel with.”

Not only that, but Morris is hoping his seniors and returning starters will give the Witches a boost on the field as well.

Brewer’s top pitchers and outfielders are back, and the team will only have to replace a few graduated starters from the infield with the exception of the shortstop position. That baseball experience, along with the recent successes of other programs at the school – football and basketball both went deep into the playoffs this year – has the Witches optimistic.

“We have quite a few tri-athletes, they have that experience of being in big games,” Morris said. “So if we work hard and we’re mentally tough I think we’re gonna be OK.”

Sevigny earns swimming honor

Ellen Sevigny of Mount Desert, a junior at Suffield Academy in Connecticut, received the school’s Outstanding Swimmer Award for girls swimming this year.

Sevigny swam the distance freestyle events and freestyle relays for Suffield, which went 7-5 this year. She is a member of the 200 and 400 free relay teams that hold school records.

Sevigny received the award at a March 27 assembly.

Longtime Blazes coach retires

The name Ben Palubinskas may not come to mind quickly for Eastern Maine basketball fans, but the Westbrook girls coach has one of the longest tenures in the state.

But this was Palubinskas’ final season after 17 years of guiding the Blue Blazes.

“There comes a point where it’s got to be time to go,” he said recently. “I haven’t had a Christmas or February vacation in years. But I’ve been very lucky to have these girls.”

Westbrook made the Western Maine Class A tournament in each of Palubinskas’ seasons. The Blazes won regional titles in 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1998.

Jessica Bloch can be reached at 990-8193, 1-800-310-8600 or jbloch@bangordailynews.net.