ORONO, Maine — In recent years, the University of Maine baseball team has built its fall season exclusively around intrasquad play.
For the first time in five years, the Black Bears are taking on some outside competition.
Coach Steve Trimper’s ballclub will face Division II Regional competitor Franklin Pierce, Division II Southern New Hampshire and Division III Husson University of Bangor in three extended games.
“[Athletics director] Karlton [Creech] and I spoke, and he saw the value of playing fall baseball,” said Trimper, who has begun his 11th season heading the program. “Getting outside competition is huge to evaluate your team in this critical time when the weather’s nice.”
UMaine is taking its show on the road. The Black Bears will play twice at Hadlock Field in Portland, home of the Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
UMaine welcomes Franklin Pierce of Rindge, New Hampshire, for a noon game on Saturday, then returns to Hadlock on Sept. 25 for a 6 p.m. contest against Southern New Hampshire University of Hooksett.
“We’re going to be meeting two powerhouse Division II schools in the Northeast,” Trimper said.
The Black Bears wrap up their outside game schedule on Oct. 3 in Bangor against Division III Husson University.
UMaine has a busy Saturday in the works, one that includes its annual pro day starting at 10 a.m. The Black Bears will hit, run and throw in front of pro scouts.
“They’ll get a chance to showcase themselves in front of the 30 major league clubs,” Trimper said.
“It’s also a great recruiting tool when you’re doing a scout day and the fact we’re playing at a nice AA park.”
The game against Franklin Pierce, which went 48-4 last season and was the No. 1-ranked team in the country before losing to Wilmington in the NCAA East Regional, begins at noon. It will consist of 16 consecutive innings.
Admission to the games at Hadlock is free.
“The city of Portland and the Sea Dogs were awesome to us by helping us out and opening up the field for two weekend games,” Trimper said.
The Oct. 3 game at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor will be preceded by a free youth baseball clinic on the fields located behind Fairmount and 14th Street schools. UMaine and Husson players and coaches will teach fundamentals starting at 3:30 p.m.
The game, which will be a fundraiser for charity, is slated for a 6 p.m. first pitch.
“We thought it would be a good way of getting a crowd involved,” Trimper said.
UMaine has been practicing once per week at Mansfield in part to better acclimate itself to playing on grass and dirt fields during the early portion of their 2016 schedule.
UMaine adds assistant coaches
UMaine also recently announced the addition of assistant coaches Conor Burke and Bryce Colbeth, each of whom will work with position players and hitting while doing some recruiting.
Burke, who is the No. 2 assistant, was an assistant last season at Adelphi University after serving as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Concordia College. He also previously coached at his alma mater, Queens College.
Colbeth, a native of Machias, is a volunteer. He spent parts of four seasons at Husson University but had his playing career ended by injury. He graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in sports management.