In each of the previous three seasons, the University of Maine baseball team played under a great deal of pressure while battling desperately to qualify for the America East Tournament.

Barring a collapse during the final two weeks of the regular season, coach Paul Kostacopoulos’ Black Bears appear to be comfortably on their way to this season’s four-team, double-elimination tournament scheduled May 17-20 at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington, Del.

Coming off a weekend sweep at Hofstra, UMaine owns a 29-11 overall record and, more importantly, a 14-6 conference mark. The Bears, who trail first-place Delaware (15-5) by only one game, are three games ahead of third-place Towson (11-9), four games better than fourth-place Drexel (10-10) and a full six games ahead of Hofstra and Hartford, which are tied for fifth at 8-12.

That scenario, coupled with a head-to-head tiebreaker edge against Towson, means the Bears would have to lose seven of their last eight not to finish at least as high as fourth place.

“It’s certainly a different feeling,” Kostacopoulos said. “We’re not necessarily looking behind us, either. We’re trying to win the regular-season championship and that hasn’t been a reality for a couple of years.”

UMaine is one victory away from the program’s first 30-win season since 1993 (33-27). The four-game road sweep at Hofstra was the first for the Bears since 1993.

The pitching staff, in particular the weekend starting rotation, continues to make the difference for UMaine. Against Hofstra, Rusty Tucker, Simon Stoner, Mike Collar of Scarborough and Mike MacDonald of Camden all earned complete-game victories.

It is the first time in recent memory four UMaine starters have each gone the distance and won in a four-game series sweep.

The Bears continue to lead America East with a 4.08 team earned run average. Tucker, a junior lefthander who has attracted a lot of attention from major league scouts, leads the way with a league-best 1.24 ERA. He has now pitched four consecutive complete games.

Members of the UMaine staff have gone the distance 11 times in 40 games this season after posting only 10 shutouts in 49 contests last season. That success has meant a sense of confidence on the ballclub.

“Pitching makes a lot of our mistakes go away,” Kostacopoulos said. “We know those first two guys [Tucker and Stoner] are good enough, on any given day, to beat anyone on our schedule. That’s a big, big key.”

Collar, a freshman righthander, is 6-0 with a 3.22 ERA in his first collegiate season. Classmate MacDonald, a righty, is 4-1 with a 4.23, while senior righthander Simon Stoner is 5-2, 4.30.

As a group, the four America East starters are 21-4 with a 3.14 ERA, 147 strikeouts and only 60 walks in 183? innings.

At the plate, senior first baseman and designated hitter Jon Hambelton continues to set the pace on the team and in the conference with a .416 batting average. He has hit 10 home runs with 38 RBIs.

Hambelton on Saturday suffered torn cartilage in his knee during a slide into home plate. The injury likely will slow him somewhat the rest of the season.

Senior second baseman Quin Peel checks in at .429, but has missed 11 games with injuries and hasn’t appeared in 75 percent of the Bears’ games, the minimum NCAA statistical standard.

Sophomore center fielder Mike Livulpi (.365, 15 RBI, 12 stolen bases) and junior catcher Joe Drapeau of Biddeford (.350, 11 HR, 48 RBI) rank fourth and ninth, respectively, among America East batters.

Ward named AD at UMPI

Richard Ward, who has served as the interim athletic director at the University of Maine-Presque Isle for the last year, has been appointed to the position on a permanent basis.

Ward has been the men’s basketball coach and a lecturer at UMPI for the last two years. Prior to arriving in Presque Isle, he served as the athletic director at UMaine-Machias.

The Wyoming native hopes to spearhead the construction of a softball field on campus and will explore the possibility of having UMPI become a Division III member of the NCAA.

Ward will continue to serve as the men’s basketball coach for the Owls.