Bucksport High School has looked within to find its new boys varsity basketball coach.

Mike Cowing, currently the Golden Bucks’ varsity baseball and golf coach, was named to take over the school’s boys basketball program this week, according to Bucksport athletic director Brendan Harvey.

“Mike was in private industry before he became a teacher,” Harvey said. “He has lots of life experiences he brings to the job. He brings a hard-work mentality, and will make sure the kids do the right things, work hard and give 100 percent.”

Cowing, a math teacher at the school, has been part of the Bucksport basketball coaching staff for the past five years, most recently as boys junior varsity coach. Cowing replaces Ed Hatch, who coached the Golden Bucks for the last two years. Bucksport finished 6-12 last winter.

Cowing has been Bucksport’s head baseball coach for the last two years, guiding the Golden Bucks to a pair of playoff appearances.

In 2003, Bucksport won the Eastern Maine Class B championship, while this spring the Golden Bucks finished 9-8 after falling to Erskine Academy of South China in the Eastern B preliminary round.

“I guess just being with the kids, that’s the fun part of coaching for me,” said Cowing. “I love to be around kids, and as an ex-jock myself, it’s my way of staying in the game.”

Cowing will stress consistency throughout the Bucksport basketball program and a strong work ethic among its participants.

“I think when you think of the best programs, you see a couple of things: a coach who has been in the program a long time, and a philosophy that’s the same all the way through. Everyone needs to buy into what you’re doing.”

He hopes a strong work ethic will translate into strong play on the court, particularly on the defensive end.

“You don’t have to be the best player to play defense, but you have to work hard,” he said. “Defense is something you can control; the other stuff is tougher to control.”

Mr. Rogers comes to Mansfield

So many people showed up to watch the Mark Rogers Show at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor on Tuesday night, they ran out of tickets.

Rogers, the senior righthander from Orrs Island and Mount Ararat High School in Topsham, pitched the Eagles to their second straight Eastern Maine Class A baseball title, allowing just two infield singles while striking out 16 and walking one in a 4-1 victory over Brewer.

A crowd estimated at more than 3,000 turned out for the contest, in particular to catch a glimpse of the flame-throwing Rogers, the national Gatorade High School Baseball Player of the Year and the No. 5 overall pick in Monday’s amateur draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Mansfield Stadium stands, which seat 2,000, were full well before game time, with fans – some still arriving as late as the fifth inning – sitting in aisles and walkways and also lining up several rows deep along both sides of the field.

And another 150-200 fans were watching from beyond the outfield fence, either right behind the fence in left and center fields or from a bank another couple hundred feet beyond.

Veteran Mansfield Stadium observers said it was easily the largest crowd to attend a baseball game there, surpassing the full house that watched a Bangor team compete in the Senior League World Series two years ago.

It also may be the largest crowd to witness a high school baseball game in state history, though the Maine Principals’ Association doesn’t maintain baseball playoff attendance records.

But even for a Mount Ararat team that has drawn big crowds to its games throughout this season, this was attendance at a new level.

“I love to see the people come out for Maine baseball, that’s what it’s all about,” said Mount Ararat coach Craig Rogers, Mark’s father. “We had people coming who didn’t care who won the game, and that is what’s important. It’s really nice to see baseball come back, especially in a facility like this. We love playing up here.”

Ernie Clark may be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or eclark@bangordailynews.net