It was a strange season for the University of Maine baseball program.
In December when 11-year head coach Steve Trimper left to take the job at Stetson University, leaving associate head coach Nick Derba as the interim head coach.
A nine-game losing streak left the Black Bears at 6-15 on March 31 and they ended the regular season with an underwhelming 21-27 record, 8-12 in America East. After losing their AE tourney opener to Albany, the fifth-seeded Black Bears were on the brink of closing out a forgettable season.
But an 11-inning win over Hartford triggered an impressive run of four consecutive elimination game victories that sent UMaine into the championship round against the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
The season ended on a frustrating note when the Black Bears managed only one run on 13 hits and two walks in a 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Retrievers. They stranded 12 runners.
“Thirteen hits and one run. That’s really hard to do,” said the 31-year-old Derba on Tuesday. “That was the story of our losses this season. We squandered opportunities.”
UMaine stranded 59 runners in six tournament games.
The good news is that the Black Bears graduate only three players: Left fielder Lou Della Fera, right fielder Tyler Schwanz and closer Jeff Gelinas.
And two members of the 2016 America East Rookie team, third baseman Danny Casals and left fielder Colin Ridley, should be 100 percent healthy. Casals played just 25 games before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery and Ridley was limited to 24 games due to hand surgery.
Also, hard-throwing right-hander John Arel should be healthy and back in the rotation full time. The junior had bone spurs in his elbow and was limited to 23 innings this season.
Derba categorized the season as a “very slow progression. There were a lot of emotional ups and downs.
“But by the end of the year, they started to take ownership for what they were and who they were,” said Derba. “I’m very optimistic about next year. We have a good group of guys and they’re hungry.”
Derba’s status is up in the air. He wants to return but the decision falls to athletic director Karlton Creech and the search committee. Whoever lands the job will have a team that could contend for the championship.
Junior Justin Courtney from Bangor, a freshman All-American and All-America East second-teamer two years ago before tendinitis limited him to eight appearances in 2016, had an inconsistent season but allowed just two runs over 13 innings with 10 strikeouts and four walks and earned a berth on the all-tourney team.
Cumberland junior Jonah Normandeau pitched well in the tourney-opening loss to Albany, while sophomore Nick Silva turned in a gem in the 3-0 tourney win over Stony Brook and earned a slot on the all-tourney team.
Courtney (4-5, 3.92 ERA), Normandeau (2-6, 4.36) and Arel (2-1, 12.13) are Derba’s projected top three starters for next season with Silva (2-2, 4.64) reprising the closer role he had in 2016 when he posted four saves.
Saco’s Gelinas had an outstanding season as the closer with a 1.23 ERA and seven saves.
Freshman Cody Laweryson of Moscow and Valley High School in Bingham was the biggest surprise. The all-rookie reliever was 4-2 with a 3.08 ERA including five innings of two-hit, shutout ball ball in the tournament.
Sophomore lefty Eddie Emerson of Lewiston (3-0, 4.88) picked up a win in relief in the tourney with seven innings of six-hit, three-run relief and junior left Connor Johnson (4-4, 5.31) allowed one run in 2 2/3 innings spanning two postseason appearances.
Brewer freshman Matt Pushard (1-0, 1.00) got better throughout the year and had a scoreless relief stint in the tourney.
Juniors Zach Winn (0-0, 4.78) and Chris Murphy (0-2, 8.04) and Bangor freshman Trevor DeLaite (2-3, 5.96) will be among other returnees and Bangor’s Peter Kemble and Hampden’s Alex McKenney will be freshmen.
“Our bullpen will be very deep,” said Derba.
Around the diamond, slick-fielding sophomore shortstop Jeremy Pena (.319, 6 home runs, 32 runs batted in) overcame a slow start to have an excellent campaign. He hit .429 in the tournament (12-for-28) to earn all-tourney honors.
Newcomer Christopher Bec (.340-1-26, team-best 15 stolen bases), a junior catcher-designated hitter, earned second-team All-AE accolades but struggled in the tourney. He has a legitimate shot to get drafted although his power numbers could drop his value.
Bec was one of three junior college transfers from Florida along with catcher-DH Jonathan Bennett (.261-1-26) and rangy center fielder Brandon Vicens (.225-2-22). First baseman Hernen Sardinas (.254-2-24) was an All-AE Rookie pick. He hit .192 in the six Lowell games.
Sophomore second baseman Caleb Kerbs (.251-2-28) had a good tournament (.304) and freshman Cody Pasic (.247-3-13) made the adjustment from catcher to third baseman to replace Casals.
Ridley hit .215 with a homer and 10 RBIs in 24 games and sophomore outfielder Zach Hodges of Eliot went just 1-for-4 but Derba likes his work ethic.
Schwanz had a good tournament (.357) to elevate his average to .284. He led the team in RBIs (38) and tied with Pena in homers (6). Della Fera produced a .300 average in the tourney to finish the season at .271.
UMaine hit .269 as a team and had a 4.73 ERA. Walks (281 in 54 games) hurt the staff. The Black Bears had a respectable .973 fielding percentage.
Speedy Florida junior college transfer Jackie Urbaez, a versatile infielder and natural leadoff hitter and power-hitting corner infielders Ben Terwilliger, Joe Bramanti and Evan Balzano will join the program in the fall and compete for playing time.
UMaine hit only 25 homers in 54 games.