ORONO, Maine — Justin Courtney was cruising.
The University of Maine freshman completed the fifth inning of last Saturday’s second game against the University in complete control.
The right-hander from Bangor had allowed only four hits and an unearned run, striking out three without issuing a walk. Courtney had thrown 64 pitches, 44 of them for strikes.
“He was throwing well,” admitted UMaine head coach Steve Trimper. “We are managing him a little bit.”
The Black Bears staff is aware that most first-year pitchers not only threw a lot in high school and American Legion or summer ball, but have not assumed the kind of workload that comes with a 50-plus-game, three-month college season.
“I think five innings, coming out on the win side of things, is such a positive for a freshman,” Trimper said.
Courtney, a former Bangor High School and Bangor Comrades Legion star, picked up the win in Saturday’s seven-inning game. He improved his record to
2-4 and lowered his earned run average to 3.53.
The effort pushed his innings pitched to 43⅓ in nine appearances, including eight starts.
“I’m a competitor. Staying in there, I was looking forward to it,” Courtney said.
He respects the decision of his coaches in regard to keeping an eye on his long-term health.
“A little bit of managing my arm is good for me, just because I haven’t been exposed to such a long season like this,” Courtney said.
“I’m just going to try to continue to put us in a good spot and let the coaches make the decisions,” he added.
Courtney’s effort on Saturday was a good bounce-back after he struggled with his control in an April 11 start at UMass Lowell. In that game, he went five innings and walked five while surrendering four hits and three runs.
“I just didn’t feel comfortable right off the bat out there in Lowell,” he said. “This week I really wanted to make sure my command would be there right off the bat, because last weekend I gave up some runs in the first inning. That was the biggest thing for me today was locating all my pitches and not falling behind hitters.”
The 6-foot-3 Courtney continues to be among the most effective pitchers in conference play, along with teammate Jacob Gosselin-Deschesnes.
Courtney is 2-0 with a 2.21 ERA that ranks fourth in the league and has given up 19 hits in 20⅓ innings in four America East appearances. He has struck out 11 and walked six.
Gosselin-Deschesnes (1-0, 1.98) has allowed just nine hits in 13⅔ innings with eight strikeouts and a walk.
Both pitchers are expected to be in the rotation this weekend as the Black Bears travel to Baltimore for a three-game series against the University of Maryland Baltimore County on Saturday and Sunday.
“If we’re going to win down the stretch, we’re going to need him and we’ve got to win two out of three every weekend,” Trimper said.