Once the school year ends, college student-athletes who are still playing breathe a deep sigh of relief.
The members of the University of Maine baseball team are among those who are relishing the opportunity to concentrate solely on their sport for a while.
Coach Steve Trimper’s Black Bears are completing their first week of the season without classes this week, facing a critical America East series against the University at Albany.
UMaine (22-25, 8-9 AE) needs only one victory in the three-game series, which kicks off with a doubleheader at noon Friday, to secure a spot in the America East Baseball Championship.
The four-team, double-elimination tournament will be played beginning Thursday at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Massachusetts, the home of the UMass Lowell River Hawks and the Lowell Spinners, a Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
UMaine goes into the Albany series having re-established its confidence after a resilient overall effort in taking three games from Binghamton last weekend in Orono.
“Even when we were down, there was a good feeling going on, great energy,” said senior co-captain Scott Heath of Westbrook. “The guys just really battled all day, and that’s what we’re going to have to do to win and stay in this thing.”
Heath goes into the weekend needing only two hits to reach 200 for his career. His six home runs and 16 doubles are both tops on the squad, while his five pitching wins also leads the Black Bears.
UMaine women head to Italy
The UMaine women’s basketball team will enjoy a rare treat starting Friday when it departs for an 11-day trip to Italy.
The Black Bears are scheduled to depart Orono at 7 a.m. on their way to Montreal, their point of departure for the air portion of the trip. UMaine is scheduled to visit Venice, Verona, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano and Rome while making stops at numerous points of cultural and historical interest.
Coach Richard Barron’s team also will play a total of three games while in Italy, taking on club teams there.
The players, coaches and team personnel will be joined on the trip by a group of more than 25 fans who signed up to join the excursion. The price tag for them was $3,500 for an individual and $6,000 per couple, with a portion of the cost earmarked to help defray the expenses of the players.
NCAA teams are allowed to take such a foreign tour only once every four years, which makes it a rare opportunity for those involved in the program to share a special experience.
The trip is being funded through private donations.
Seavey headed to UM-Machias
Austin Seavey of Washington Academy in East Machias has committed to play basketball and attend the University of Maine at Machias starting in the fall.
The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 19.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game as a senior for coach Steve Pineo’s Raiders. Seavey, a 2015 Maine McDonald’s Senior All-Star, was a Penobscot Valley Conference second-team choice and earned a spot on the PVC All-Defensive Team.
At Washington Academy, Seavey accumulated 903 points, 506 rebounds and 101 blocked shots.
“Austin has a tremendous upside to him,” said Clippers coach Brac Brady. “He has a basketball body that will get stronger during his time in college. Austin has the ability to play in the paint as well as on the perimeter, which will fit well into our system.”
UM-Machias is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Division II ranks and competes in the Yankee Small College Conference.