ORONO, Maine – After a tough stretch of five games against teams with a combined 42-21 record in Alabama, the University of Maine baseball team will begin a new season in the Empire State, with a doubleheader against America East foe Binghamton to open conference play. First pitch of the doubleheader on Sunday is set for noon.
Both games can be watched on AmericaEast.tv, and can be heard locally on the radio dials on 96.1 FM WGUY. An audio steam is also provided on goblackbears.com.
Series Information
Maine Black Bears at Binghamton Bearcats
Date: March 24
Site: Vestal, N.Y. | Binghamton Baseball Complex
Records: Maine 1-17, Binghamton 7-8
Probable Rotation
Game 1: Maine RHP
Nick Silva | Binghamton RHP Nick Gallagher
Game 2: Maine RHP
Cody Laweryson | Binghamton RHP Ben Anderson
Alabama /Troy Recap
• Facing a tough SEC team and an SBC team that made an NCAA regional last season, the Black Bears could not fend off hot-hitting teams in Alabama and Troy in their final two games in the Yellowhammer State.
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Colin Ridley paced the Black Bear offense with two doubles against Alabama.
Jeffrey Omohundro slapped two base knocks against Troy, playing only 55 miles outside his hometown.
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Justin Courtney made his 2019 debut against the Crimson Tide, his first start since undergoing UCL surgery last April. He lasted four innings, charged with seven earned runs, while striking out two against the red-hot Crimson Tide (18-4).
Samford Series Recap
• Maine earned its first win of the season in game two against Samford, as a four-run fifth inning led the Black Bears to a 6-4 win.
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Peter Kemble earned the victory for the Black Bears, allowing just three hits and two earned runs, while striking four in five innings pitched. The Black Bear bullpen combined to allow just two hits and two runs over four innings to seal the victory.
• In game one, Maine tallied a season-high 10 hits, led by three from
Hernen Sardinas.
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Cody Pasic had two multi-hit games in the series, extending his team-high hitting streak to six games.
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Danny Casals has reached base in nine straight games, extending back to the first game of the Liberty series on March 2nd. He blasted his first home run in the first inning of Maine's victory over Samford on Saturday.
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Cody Laweryson impressed in game three for Maine, allowing just three hits and no earned runs, while striking out six in four innings.
About Binghamton
• After starting the season out with an 0-5 record, the Bearcats have won seven of their last 10, winning three-of-five on their spring break trip against Mercer and Kennesaw State this past week.
• Alex Baratta leads the squad with a .357 batting average, driving in seven runs.
• Nick Gallagher (5.06 ERA) and Ben Anderson (3.24 ERA) have each started five games on the mound for the Bearcats, and are projected start in both games of the doubleheader.
Tough Non-Conference Slate
• According to the NCAA, the Black Bears have had the second toughest schedule in the nation, ranking only behind Xavier.
• Maine's non-conference opponents this season have combined for a 104-41 record as of March 21
• No. 5 Florida State (15-5)
• Maryland (12-8)
• Liberty (15-5)
• No. 7 Mississippi State (20-2)
• Samford (14-6)
• Alabama (18-4)
• Troy (10-11)
• Maine's RPI ranks at 160 of 299 teams despite a 1-17 record.
Spring Break Trip
• Maine will play seven game over the course of 10 days over its spring break trip, heading to Alabama (March 19) and Troy (March 20) for single games before heading up to Binghamton to open the America East slate next weekend with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 23 and a single game on Sunday, March 24. The Black Bears will then head back to Maine before going back to the Empire State for a weekend America East series against Stony Brook to close March.
The All-Time Series
• The Black Bears hold a 35-33 edge in the all-time series, with two conference foes first meeting in 2002.
• Maine won 2-of-3 meetings in 2018, but Binghamton has won nine of the last 12.
• The Black Bears won 12 of the first 14 games in series history, but the Bearcats would take victories in eight of the next nine contests.
• Last season, Maine hosted the America East Tournament. Binghamton will take over the hosting duties in 2019.
DeLightful DeLaite
•
Trevor DeLaite has dazzled opposing batters this season, with lefties batting just .150 (3/20) against him and righties hitting at a .175 7/40) clip. He has allowed just three hits with runners on base (3/26).
• He has struck out 23 batters in 17.0 innings pitched, allowing just 10 hits and six earned runs.
• Among America East pitchers, he ranks eighth among qualifiers in ERA (3.18), third in opposing batting average (.167), ninth in innings pitched (17.0), fifth in strikeouts.
Laudable Laweryson
• RHP
Cody Laweryson impressed in his last outing against Samford last Sunday, allowing just three hits and no earned runs, while striking out six in four innings.
• He has allowed four earned runs in nine innings this season, striking out 10.
• His four runs allowed came against two top-10 nationally ranked teams in Florida State and Mississippi State He held a 2018 NCAA regional team and preseason favorite to win the SoCon to zero runs in Samford.
• He's holding lefties to just three hits in 23 at bats (.136)
Back in Business
• On May 16, 2018, now redshirt-senior
Caleb Kerbs was diagnosed with non-seminoma testicular cancer.
• Kerbs missed the rest of the season, undergoing surgery on May 25.
• He is batting .200 on the season, tied with a team-high three doubles.
• Check out 'Strikeout the Stigma' on goblackbears.com for more info.
Young Cubs
• Several freshmen Black Bears have impressed through 18 games this season.
• Freshman RHP
Nicholas Sinacola has allowed just 14 hits in 17 innings pitched this season, holding opponents to just a .233 batting average. He has struck out 15 batters and earned the America East Conference's first freshman of the week of the season.
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Jake Roper hit a grand slam on his first collegiate hit against Florida State on Feb. 16 against FSU. He ranks second on the team with six RBIs
AE Rankings
• DeLaite eighth among qualifiers in ERA (3.18), third in opposing batting average (.167), ninth in innings pitched (17.0), fifth in strikeouts (23).
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Joe Bramanti ranks sixth in the America East in walks.
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Danny Casals and Kerbs are tied for the conference in HBP (4).
The Bear Facts
• Maine boasts six seniors, six juniors, seven sophomores and 12 freshmen among its roster of 32 players.
• Maine was tabbed to finished in fourth-place in the America East Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Six Black Bears return in 2019 that have started at least 30 games, including
Hernen Sardinas,
Cody Pasic,
Danny Casals,
Kevin Doody,
Caleb Kerbs and
Colin Ridley.
• The Black Bears return three America East all-conference selections in
Danny Casals (first team),
Hernen Sardinas (second team) and
Matt Geoffrion (all-rookie). Maine had two players drafted in the 2018 MLB draft, with
Jeremy Pena (3rd round. 102nd overall) and
Christopher Bec (5th round, 146th overall) going within the top 150 picks.
• Maine went 20-34 last season and finished in sixth place in the America East regular season standings with an 12-12 record before fighting its way to day three of the America East Championship after falling in its opening game.
• Head Coach
Nick Derba enters his third season at the helm of the Black Bears, holding a 45-63 overall record. Maine advanced to the America East Championship game in his first season and rallied to make it to day three of the conference tournament a season ago.
Hall of Famers
• On Dec. 2, 2018, Assistant Coach
John Schiffner and UMaine alumnus Mark Sweeney were both inducted into the Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame.
• Schiffner is the winningest manager in Cape Cod League History, coaching the Chatham, A's/Anglers to 541 regular season wins and 16 playoff appearances. He has coached 39 first round picks and over 125 of his former players have reached the big leagues, including Evan Longoria, Andrew Miller, Kris Bryant, and Todd Frazier. Head Coach
Nick Derba played for Schiffner from 2004 to 2006 for the Anglers.
• Mark Sweeney, a 14-year MLB vet, played for seven different teams, ranking second all-time in MLB history with 175 career pinch hits and first all-time with 102 pinch hit RBIs. He still holds 21 school records at UMaine, including, career hits (328), career doubles (66), career home runs (52), career RBIs (211), total bases (568), slugging percentage (.663). He earned All-America honors in. 1988, 1990. And 1991. He was inducted to the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. Sweeney led the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox to back-to-back Cape Cod league titles in 1989 and 1990, earning Cape Cod Playoff MVP honors in 1989.
Legends Weekend
• Maine will welcome back and honor the 1991 team on to campus on the weekend of April 20-21 when Maine takes on UMass in a four-game non-conference series.
• The 1991 Black Bears baseball team set a school record with 48 wins, winning the America East and ECAC championship. The 1991 Black Bears hosted the most recent NCAA Regional at Mahaney Diamond, falling in the title game to Clemson. Sweeney earned the America East Player of the Year after hitting .387 with a .644 slugging percentage. Larry Thomas was selected as the America East Pitcher of the Year, striking out a school record 108 batters in just 99.1 innings pitched. Both Sweeney and Thomas were elected as All-Americans following the season.
• Maine Softball will honor the ECAC champion 1984 and 1987 teams that same weekend.
The 136th Season
• UMaine is embarking on its 136th season of play with the 2019 season, with the Black Bears first having played during the 1881 season.
• After 135 seasons, UMaine held an overall record of 1978-1579-17 and had made 16 NCAA Tournament appearances and seven College World Series appearances.
• There have been two canceled seasons, with UMaine not fielding teams in 1892 and 1944.
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Nick Derba is the 25th head coach in program history.
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