Despite the fact a lot of work remained to be done as of Thursday afternoon, there is expected to be baseball played at Mahaney Diamond on Friday afternoon.
With field conditions unplayable at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Massachusetts, the scheduled America East series pitting the University of Maine against UMass Lowell has been rescheduled for Orono.
UMaine players, coaches and facilities staff were out on Mahaney Diamond again Thursday, chipping and shoveling ice off the facility to pave the way for what will become the Black Bears’ home openers.
“We’ve probably moved a couple thousand pounds of ice,” UMaine interim head coach Nick Derba said on Thursday while taking a break from the ice-removal effort.
“Luckily, [athletic grounds and arena manager Eric] Stoup and our grounds crew did a great job early on of clearing the field [of snow],” he explained. “Without them, we definitely would not be playing this weekend.”
Derba said while most of Mahaney Diamond’s FieldTurf surface was ready for play, the warning track around the perimeter of the field and the area behind home plate had retained some stubborn ice.
Black Bear players have spent the last few days working to get rid of the remaining ice and snow.
“We’ve had the boys out and they are taking care of that mess. They’ve been out chopping away and getting after it,” Derba said.
“I’m kind of surprised we’ve actually done so well,” he admitted. “Everybody on our team has put 10 or 12 hours in.”
Working around the snow, ice, rain, mud and cold temperatures are part of the experience for college baseball teams in the Northeast, but nobody wants to lose conference games.
A late-winter snowstorm along the Mid-Atlantic coast two weeks ago cost UMaine its first America East series of the season. A scheduled three-game set in Baltimore was wiped out because of snow and unplayable conditions at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s facility.
“I don’t want to lose any of these games. We have to get as man of them in as possible,” Derba said.
UMaine expects to play a doubleheader on Friday afternoon starting at 2. The teams will try to work around a predicted snowfall of 1-2 inches on Saturday and play the series finale on Sunday, if possible.
UMass Lowell will be the “home” team, batting last for all games.
Husson University in Bangor has played three games since Saturday on Alfond Diamond at the Winkin Complex. The Eagles also have scheduled a Thursday game against Saint Joseph’s College of Standish and a Friday North Atlantic Conference doubleheader with Thomas College of Waterville.