LINCOLN, Neb. – When Seth Brady was young, he didn’t like playing catch with older sister Jess Brady. Seems she threw the ball a bit too hard.

Years later Seth Brady is still amazed by his sister, now the starting center fielder for the University of Maine softball team.

“Last weekend [during the America East tournament] they were warming up and I saw this girl throw the ball from right field almost to the third-base line,” he said. “I thought, ‘Wow, who is that? Does she not play?’ And of course it was Jess.”

Seth and his parents, Dan and Teresa, and grandmother Suzanne Golder of Windham arrived at the University of Nebraska’s Bowlin Stadium early Thursday afternoon in anticipation of watching Jess and the rest of the Black Bears as they took on California in the NCAA Regional tournament.

“I’m excited for her to get out on the field and see what she can do against California,” Seth Brady said. “I love bragging about her. I have so much fun watching her play.”

The Bradys, who are from Jackman originally but recently moved to Standish, left Manchester, N.H., Thursday morning and flew through Chicago to get to Lincoln in time to watch the 3 p.m. game between No. 5 Iowa and No. 4 Mississippi State.

Seth Brady just finished his freshman year and first season as a basketball player at UMaine-Augusta. He has attended all but three home games in Orono this year – Seth learned his lesson after not seeing any games last year (he wasn’t feeling up to it after a breakup with his then-girlfriend). Both siblings graduated from Forest Hills High in Jackman.

After Maine beat Boston University for the America East tournament championship and found out it was heading to Nebraska with its automatic berth in the NCAA tournament, Seth Brady went online to find out what the airfare would be to Lincoln.

“We weren’t sure if we were going to come out here,” he said. “Money was a big issue. I found tickets for $500 each and I told [Dan and Teresa Brady], it’s $1,500 for three. I almost had to pay my own way. I would have, too, but they said they would pay.”

Black Bear similarities

There are a few parallels between Maine’s 2004 NCAA tournament entry and the 1994 team, which also advanced to the NCAA Regionals.

Maine had a conference Pitcher of the Year both seasons: Deb Smith, the current coach, was given the honor after finishing the regular season with an 19-8 record. This year, junior Jenna Merchant was named the America East Pitcher of the Year with a 10-5 record.

The Bears also had a tournament MVP both seasons. Smith was the Most Valuable Player in 1994; junior third baseman Lauren Dulkis was this year’s honoree.

This year’s Maine team had 28 wins, the second-most in program history. The 1994 squad’s 32 wins are the all-time high.

That 1994 team was the first Black Bear women’s team to advance to an NCAA Tournament. Since then Maine women’s sports teams have made seven appearances in NCAA postseason play.

WZON’s voice in Lincoln

If you were listening to Maine’s game against California Thursday evening on WZON radio, you heard the voice of play-by-play announcer Matt Coakley.

Coakley said WZON program director Dale Duff called Pinnacle Sports Network of Gretna, Neb., Monday night. Coakley and Duff talked Tuesday morning, and Coakley agreed then to broadcast the game.

Coakley also broadcasts Nebraska women’s basketball for Pinnacle and has been a softball umpire for 20 years. He spent Wednesday at Bowlin Stadium watching Maine and Cal practice. He spent an hour each with sports information officials from both schools, talked to both head coaches, and spent time on the Internet tracking down stats.

“I’m just trying to get my arms around the general framework of what’s going on,” Coakley said. “The best thing you can do is just work a little bit, talk to people who have seen the teams and know what they’re doing.”

Coakley, who is the district supervisor for the Department of Motor Vehicles in eastern Nebraska, will be with the Black Bears for as long as they stick around the tournament.

“I am the biggest Maine Black Bear fan in Nebraska right now,” he said with a laugh. “I am solidly behind the Black Bears.”

Pinnacle is the primary network broadcasting Nebraska sports, with about 80 stations that carry Nebraska football and about 50 that carry Nebraska basketball.

Sandwiches, salad dressing, steak

Mainers have their lobster rolls, whoopie pies, and Pat’s Pizzas. Nebraskans have Runzas, Dorothy Lynch, and Misty’s.

Runza is a Nebraska-based fast food chain which serves up its namesake overstuffed sandwiches, which are stuffed with a combination of seasoned ground beef and cabbage.

Dorothy Lynch Home Style Dressing tastes like a sweeter version of French dressing. The company was founded in the late 1940s in St. Paul, Neb., and was bought by Tasty-Toppings Inc. in 1964. The company expanded later and now has a factory in Duncan, Neb. Dorothy Lynch is available in 26 midwestern and western states.

Cornhusker football fans know Misty’s steakhouse is the place to watch the Big Red on Saturdays in the fall.