The University of Maine softball team had a disappointing finish to its season, but the Black Bears can take heart in what they have coming back for the 2004 campaign.

And that’s just the way coach Deb Smith and her staff is looking at it.

“[The team is] still trying to deal with last weekend,” Smith said in the days after Maine’s 19-6 loss to Boston University in the America East Conference tournament. “We are excited about next year.”

A very young, inexperienced UMaine squad wrapped up its season against BU Friday, but Smith has a good reason to talk about next season already. Nine of the 13 Bears who played against the Terriers were either sophomores or freshmen.

“Going into the season we were a big question mark,” Smith said. “We knew we were either going to look very good or pretty ugly. I’m overall very pleased with how the season went. The core of the team is freshmen and sophomores with a good group of juniors and they’re going to sustain us for the next few years.”

Maine (26-22) is losing only two seniors. Melissa Mather played in six games this year and Amanda Stevens of Sumner split time at catcher with sophomore Lindsay Tibbetts of Berwick.

That puts the Bears in the enviable position of having their top pitchers, hitters, and field players all back for next year.

Sophomore Jess Brady of Jackman was named first-team all-conference and led the Black Bears in several key categories. The center fielder had a team-best .354 batting average (fourth in America East), 57 hits (also fourth in AE), and 23 stolen bases (a Maine single-season record and a tie for the best in the conference).

Brady has started every game of her two-year career.

Brittany Cheney, a freshman who earned the starting shortstop position, batted .326. She had a team-high 27 runs scored and 24 RBIs. Cheney was a second-team all-conference honoree.

Freshman DH-first baseman Amy Kuhl batted .285 and was named to the league’s all-rookie team. She had 34 hits and 13 RBIs.

Lauren Dulkis, a redshirt sophomore who started at third base, batted .255 but caught fire at the end of the season. She finished with 35 hits and 19 RBIs.

Freshmen Erin Provost (.243), Molly McKinney (.229), and Dana Grimm (.240, two home runs) were other key contributors.

Junior Nikki Taylor of Chelsea was a mainstay at first base, and junior Sara Asadoorian started at second base. Sophomore Christina Belmonte of Livermore Falls saw action in 24 games and was a valuable pinch runner.

The Bears return both of their pitchers, too.

Sophomore Jenna Merchant and freshman Sarah Bennis did the bulk of the pitching. Second-team all-conference team member Merchant wrapped up the season with a 1.90 earned run average and 153 strikeouts. She was also one of the most durable pitchers in the conference, with 184 1/3 innings of work in 34 games, a 15-9 record and three saves.

Pownal’s Bennis (10-11) finished with a 2.75 ERA and joined Kuhl on the all-rookie team.

Merchant and Bennis didn’t have any real backup as pitcher Candace Jaegge struggled to recover from an elbow injury. She finished with a 1-1 mark in four appearances. Smith said the team is hoping Jaegge can return next year and the Black Bears are also hoping to attract a pitching recruit.

The Bears are expecting at least one new face in catcher Maggie Souel of Worcester, Mass., a high schooler whom Smith said plays for a top summer league team. Souel signed a Letter of Intent in October. Maine should also gain the services of redshirt Cheryl White, a catcher-outfielder. White broke her wrist as a member of Maine’s women’s ice hockey team and had to sit out the softball season.

Maine’s .264 team batting average and .958 fielding percentage were both second in the seven-team league. The Bears had a team ERA of 2.39, fourth overall.