ORONO, Maine — If the University of Maine baseball team is going to make a run at an America East postseason berth, it is going to need more consistent pitching.
To that end, coach Steve Trimper and his staff made a change last weekend that may bolster its starting rotation.
Jacob Gosselin-Deschesnes, who has been a mainstay of the Black Bears’ bullpen the last two seasons, turned in an impressive effort Sunday in a starting role.
The senior right-hander limited the University of Hartford to four hits and one run in seven innings Sunday, before the Hawks scored five times against the UMaine bullpen to salvage the series finale 6-3 in 12 innings.
Gosselin-Deschesnes struck out two, walked one and hit two batters but impressed in only his second start among 26 career appearances for the Bears.
“He did a great job, ran out of gas a little there at the end,” Trimper said of the stint, during which the man team members call “Goose” threw 88 pitches.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder from Montreal, a transfer from Clarendon (Texas) College, said the transition from reliever to starter was easy.
“I haven’t been a starter much (here), but I’ve been starting my entire career so it wasn’t much different,” Gosselin-Deschesnes, who features a fastball and a cutter (slider), said.
“I just try to come in, throw a first-(pitch) strike, stay ahead, let the guys hit and the defense was behind me,” he added, stressing he did not alter his approach.
“Coach (J.P.) Pyne said, ‘Just think like you’re coming out of the bullpen and just give us whatever you have,’” Gosselin-Deschesnes said.
Gosselin-Deschesnes may be able to fill a void in the rotation for UMaine, which has not been able to establish a consistent third starter as sophomore Jeff Gelinas of Saco and junior Jake Marks largely have been ineffective this spring.
Gosselin-Deschenes owns a 2-1 record and a team-best 2.65 earned run average, having allowed only 21 hits in 13 appearances covering 34 innings. He has struck out 20 and walked nine, holding opponents to a .183 batting average.
Freshman Justin Courtney of Bangor (2-4, 3.53) and senior Scott Heath of Westbrook (3-3, 4.39) have done a good job keeping the Bears in games as regular starters.
The potential down side for the Black Bears is that making Gosselin-Deschesnes a starter puts more pressure on the bullpen. Logan Fullmer (0-1, 3.72, 1 save) stumbled a bit in two appearances against Hartford, while Charlie Butler (3-4, 3.98, 4 saves) ran out of gas in his second weekend outing Sunday.
UMaine still chasing playoffs
UMaine continues to chase one of four spots for next month’s America East Baseball Championship at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Massachusetts.
The Bears are 14-19 overall and 4-6 in league play, which has them tied for last place with UMass Lowell in the standings.
However, UMaine is really only percentage points out of third place, which is occupied by Binghamton (12-14-1, 6-7 AE). The Bears’ next opponent, Maryland Baltimore County (16-14, 5-6 AE), and Hartford (12-22, 5-7 AE) also are only slightly ahead of UMaine in the quest to earn one of the four tournament berths.