It will be a busy and exciting weekend for the seniors on the University of Maine baseball team.
Not only are some of the Black Bears poised to earn their degrees Saturday, they are gearing up for an important America East series against Binghamton.
UMaine will honor its five seniors prior to Saturday’s 3 p.m. doubleheader at Mahaney Diamond as part of “Senior Weekend.”
“It’s an awesome group, they’re an absolute joy to coach,” said UMaine head coach Steve Trimper. “They’re good players, good students and good friends who come from great families.”
Positional starters Kevin McAvoy of Brewer, Billy Cather and Danny Menendez, along with pitchers Alejandro Balsinde and Ryan Forrest, will be recognized for their contributions to the program.
The Bears and Bearcats also will square off Sunday at 1 p.m. in another doubleheader. The league format calls for a seven-inning first game and a nine-inning second game each day.
Upwards of 80 UMaine student-athletes are expected to participate in graduation today. That list also includes students who completed degree requirements in December and those who anticipate earning their degrees in May, August or December 2009.
McAvoy, a kinesiology and physical education major, has been a four-year starter in the infield and in the outfield. He leads the team this spring in batting average (.388) and home runs (8) and is second with 57 hits and 14 doubles.
Cather, a finance major from Worcester, Mass., also has been a mainstay in the UMaine outfield. He checks in at .341 this season with a team-best 63 hits and 48 runs scored. He also ranks second with 15 stolen bases.
Menendez, a marketing major from Miami, has held down the starting spot at second base for four seasons. He needs one stolen base to set the UMaine single-season record with 36 and is batting .313 with 40 runs scored.
Balsinde, a finance major from Miami, has filled a variety of roles on the Bears’ pitching staff as a starter, middle reliever and closer. He has four saves this season and 12 in his career.
Forrest, a journalism major from Highlands Ranch, Colo., has appeared in 30 games during three seasons at UMaine. The changeup specialist attended Creighton University before transferring to UMaine.
Former UMaine star Curt Smith, who is playing with the St. Louis Cardinals’ Class A affiliate in Palm Beach, Fla., also has finished up his degree work in marketing.
Binghamton is expected to provide another test for the Bears, who are looking to assert themselves against the league’s top team.
“The whole team’s ready to go,” Trimper said.
Binghamton has won back-to-back America East regular-season titles.
“They’re a very good club, they’ve got good arms. They’re solid all around like they were last year.
“This league is pretty evenly matched over the top five teams,” he added.
The Bears hope to have the services of starting shortstop Tony Patane (shoulder) and McAvoy (foot) against the Bearcats. Lefthander Jonathan Balentina is not expected to start as he recovers from a tight forearm.
He’ll be replaced in the rotation by classmate Kevin Scanlan, who was outstanding in relief last weekend at Albany.
“We’re just trying to heal up from some of those injuries we’ve had,” said Trimper, who added dealing with injuries is a challenge all teams face.