Maine Black Bears baseball

Maine Black Bears
2024 Maine Black Bears baseball team
Founded	1881
University	University of Maine
Head coach	Nick Derba (8th season)
Conference	America East
Location	Orono, Maine
Home stadium	Mahaney Diamond (Capacity: 4,400)
Nickname	Black Bears
Colors	Maine blue, white, and navy [1]
College World Series appearances
1964, 1976, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986
NCAA regional champions
1976, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986
NCAA Tournament appearances
1964, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2023
Conference tournament champions
ECAC: 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1991 NAC/America East: 1993, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2023
Regular season conference champions
NAC/America East: 1990, 1991, 1993, 2002, 2013, 2022, 2023

The Maine Black Bears baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball program of the University of Maine, located in Orono, Maine. It is the university's oldest athletic program, having begun play in 1881. It has been a member of the NCAA Division I America East Conference since its founding (as the North Atlantic Conference) at the start of the 1990 season. Its home venue is Mahaney Diamond, located on the university's campus. Nick Derba is the head coach. He was named interim head coach prior to the 2017 season. The program has appeared in 16 NCAA tournaments and seven College World Series. In conference postseason play, it has won eight ECAC Tournaments and five America East tournaments. In conference regular season play, it has won five America East titles (three of those when the league was known as the North Atlantic Conference). 19 former Black Bears have appeared in Major League Baseball.

History

Early history

The University of Maine opened in fall 1868 as the Maine College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts. ^[2] The baseball program, founded in 1881, was the school's first intercollegiate athletic program. ^[3] It went 3–3 in its first season. The program continued to play a handful of games each season during the 1880s; during this time, Irv Ray, Maine's first alumnus to play in Major League Baseball, played for the program. ^[4] It played its first 10-game schedule in 1886 and won 10 games for the first time in 1888. The university did not sponsor a baseball team in 1892, but the team resumed in 1893. ^[5]

From the program's inception through the 1893 season, student coaches coached the team. For the 1894 season, the school hired Harry Miller as its first faculty head coach. In two seasons under Miller (1894 and 1895), the team went 5–7 and 8–4, respectively. Jack Abbott, the program's second head coach, led the team to a 5–4 record in 1896. Under W. W. Bustard, Maine had consecutive 9–4 seasons in 1897 and 1898. ^[5] The university changed its name from the Maine College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts to its current name following the 1897 season. ^[2]

Monte Cross while playing for the Philadelphia Athletics.

Through the end of the 1923 season, Maine competed as an independent school. During this time, its highest single-season win total was 11, a mark reached three times (twice under head coach William Magill). Eight future major leaguers played for the program: Clarence Blethen, Harvey Cushman, Michael Driscoll, Pat French, Otis Lawry, Marty McHale, Ralph Pond, and Harland Rowe. In 1902, the team played an exhibition game against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. ^{[4] [6]}

The longest-tenured head coach of the period was former Philadelphia Athletics player Monte Cross, who coached the team for six seasons (1916–1921) and had an overall record of 33–33–3. ^[5] An April 1916 Lewiston Daily Sun article said of Cross, "His easy-going, but nevertheless strict instructions and discipline, together with the knowledge of the inside features of the National game, and the manner in which he teaches them, make an everlasting impression on the students, players, and managers." ^[7] In 1919, Cross became the first Maine baseball coach to receive the "M" award from the university's president. ^[8]

After Joseph Murphy coached the program from 1924 to 1925, a total of two coaches led the team until 1949. Murphy assistant Fred Brice was the program's head coach for 10 seasons (1926–1935), and William Kenyon held the position for 13 seasons (1936–1943, 1945–1949). Under Brice, Maine had a 67–60 record; its best single-season record during his tenure was 9–5 in 1932. ^[5] For the previous season, 1931, the baseball team had moved to a location behind Memorial Gym after previously playing at Alumni Field. ^[9] In the mid-1930s, 1936 Olympian Clarence Keegan played for Brice. ^[6] Under Kenyon, Maine went 61–91–1. It went 11–7 in 1938 to tie the program record for wins and won Maine State Series championships in 1937 and 1942. ^{[5] [10]}

From 1937 to 1943, Maine played in the New England Conference, along with Connecticut, Rhode Island State, New Hampshire, and Northeastern. ^{[11] [12] [13]} Maine won the conference championship in 1938, but in the conference's seven seasons of baseball competition, it had the worst overall record among the five teams. ^[6]

Yankee Conference

From 1949 to 1979, Maine played in the Yankee Conference. For the majority of its time in the conference, its fellow members were Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. In 31 seasons in the league, Maine had the third-highest winning percentage (.548), behind Connecticut and Massachusetts. ^[6]

Maine won its first Yankee championship in 1950 under head coach Mike Lude but did not win another in that decade. It began to have more success after Jack Butterfield was named head coach for the start of the 1957 season. Butterfield had played at Maine in the early 1950s and served as an assistant in 1956. In his fourth season, 1960, Maine shared the Yankee title with Connecticut after both went 8–2 in conference. Baseball executive Bill Livesey featured on the 1960 championship team. ^{[6] [14] [15]}

In 1964, the Black Bears went 21–8, won the Yankee Conference, and reached their first College World Series (CWS). Maine swept Northeastern in the best-of-three District 1 Regional to reach Omaha. Maine began the tournament 1–1, beating Seton Hall in the opener but losing to Minnesota in the 1–0 game. In the losers bracket, Maine defeated Arizona State (also playing in its first CWS) and defending champion USC. In the semi-finals, Maine was eliminated by a 2–1 loss to Missouri. Pitcher Joe Ferris was named the Most Outstanding Player. ^{[6] [16] [17]}

Butterfield led the team through the end of the 1974 season, when he left to coach South Florida, in part because of disagreements with Maine's administration about the program's funding. In his final decade, Maine shared two more Yankee titles and had another 20-win season, but it did not return to the NCAA tournament. Butterfield finished with an overall Maine record of 240–169–2. ^{[6] [17]}

Maine hired Colby head coach John Winkin as Butterfield's replacement. Winkin went on to lead the team for 22 seasons (1975–1996) and was Maine's most successful head coach. He had an overall record of 642–430–3 and led Maine to 10 NCAA tournaments and 6 College World Series. His teams included nine future Major League Baseball players: Mike Bordick, Kevin Buckley, Fred Howard, Joe Johnson, Jeff Plympton, Bert Roberge, Mark Sweeney, Bill Swift, and Larry Thomas. ^[6]

After making an NCAA Regional in Winkin's first season, Maine reached the 1976 College World Series. There, it went 2–2. After losing its opener, 3–2, to Eastern Michigan, the team knocked out Auburn and Washington State before being eliminated. ^[17] Maine returned to the CWS in 1981, when it had its first 30-win season. After defeating St. John's in the Northeast Regional finals, the Black Bears went 0–2 in Omaha. ^{[6] [18]}

The 1981 appearance was the first of four consecutive trips to Omaha, winning the Northeast Regional (which it often hosted) on several occasions. The Black Bears also reached the CWS in 1986, their first 40-win season. At the CWS, the team went 0–2 in 1983, 1984, and 1986, but finished tied for third in 1982. After losing its opener to Miami, it notched losers bracket wins against Cal State Fullerton, Wichita State, and Stanford before being knocked out by Miami. Bob Whalen, who went on to become the head coach at Dartmouth, was an assistant to Winkin during these four appearances. ^{[6] [19]}

America East Conference

Maine joined the North Atlantic Conference for the 1990 season. In its first four seasons in the conference, it reached three NCAA tournaments (1990, 1991, 1993), losing to Clemson in the regional final in 1991. Maine players won several major conference awards in the early 1990s, including a sweep of the Pitcher and Player of the Year (by Larry Thomas and Mark Sweeney) in 1991. ^[20]

Winkin's contract was not renewed after the 1996 season, and the school hired Providence head coach Paul Kostacopoulos to replace him. (The North Atlantic was also renamed the America East after the 1996 season.) Kostacopoulos led the team for nine seasons (1997–2005). Maine's best season under him came in 2002, when the Black Bears went 40–17 (16–6 America East), won the conference's regular season and tournament titles, and reached the Los Angeles Regional. ^{[6] [21]} The team also reached the 2005 NCAA tournament under Kostacopoulos, who was twice named the America East Coach of the Year. ^[20]

When Kostacopoulos left for Navy after the 2005 season, Maine hired Manhattan head coach Steve Trimper to replace him. Trimper had previously coached in the America East as an assistant at Vermont in the 1990s. Under him, Maine returned to the NCAA tournament in 2006 and 2011, playing in the Chapel Hill Regional both times and winning a game in 2011. In 2013, Trimper was named America East Coach of the Year, and the Black Bears won three of four major conference awards after winning the regular season title. In the America East Tournament, the team lost to Binghamton in the championship game. ^{[20] [22] [23] [24] [25]}

Maine playing against UMass Lowell in 2014

Conference membership

• Independent (1881–1891, 1893–1936, 1945–1948, 1980–1981)
• New England Conference (1937–1943)
• Yankee Conference (1949–1979)
• Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (1982–1989) ^{[lower-alpha 1]}
  • North Division (1982–1989)
• America East Conference (1990–present)
  • Known as the North Atlantic Conference from 1990 to 1997

Venues

Early venues

The program played at several locations on Maine's campus in its early seasons. During the 1910s and 1920s, it played at Alumni Field. In 1931, it moved to "a section directly behind Memorial gym." ^{[6] [9]}

Mahaney Diamond

Main article: Mahaney Diamond

The program currently plays at Mahaney Diamond, which opened in the early 1980s and is located on the northern end of the university's campus. It has a capacity of 4,400 spectators and is named for Maine alumnus and donor Larry Mahaney, who graduated from the university in 1951. The field has a FieldTurf surface, and the facility has been renovated many times since the mid 1980s. ^[5]

The facility hosted NCAA Regionals in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1991. It has also hosted four AEC tournaments (1996, 2002, 2004 and 2018). ^{[5] [26]}

Coaches

Head coaches

Since Harry Miller became the program's first record head coach for the 1894 season, Maine has had 24 head coaches. ^[5] John Winkin, who was Maine's head coach from 1975 to 1996, is both the program's longest tenured and winningest head coach. He coached for 22 seasons and won 642 games. ^[27]

Tenure(s) Coach Seasons W-L-T Pct 1881–1891, 1893 Unknown 12 45–37–1 .549 1894–1895 Harry Miller 2 13–11 .542 1896 Jack Abbott 1 5–4 .556 1897–1898 W. W. Bustard 2 18–8 .692 1899–1901 William Magill 3 24–13 .649 1902–1905 Frank Rudderham 4 33–27 .550 1906 E. G. Butman 1 3–12 .200 1907–1908 W. J. Fitzmaurice 2 7–18 .280 1909 P. J. Noonan 1 7–5 .583 1910 Pat Keefe 1 8–4 .667 1911 Edgar Wingard 1 3–8 .272 1912–1913 George Magoon 2 12–13–1 .480 1914–1915 John Phelan 2 12–15 .444 1916–1921 Monte Cross 6 33–33–3 .500 1922–1923 Wilkie Clark 2 14–15 .483 1924–1925 Joseph Murphy 2 10–14–1 .417 1926–1935 Fred Brice 10 67–60 .528 1936–1943, 1945–1949 William C. Kenyon 13 67–111–2 .376 1950–1951 Mike Lude 2 22–19 .537 1952–1954 Tubby Raymond 2 36–26–1 .581 1954–1956 Walter Anderson 3 19–21–1 .475 1957–1974 Jack Butterfield 18 240–169–2 .588 1975–1996 John Winkin 22 642–430–3 .599 1997–2005 Paul Kostacopoulos 9 284–195 .593 2006–2016 Steve Trimper 11 309–292–2 .514 2017–present Nick Derba 6 110–153 .418 Totals 25 140 2,043–1,713–18 .544 Yearly records The program's first season came in 1881. Since then, the school has sponsored a team in each season except 1892 and 1944. Below is a table of the program's yearly records since its inception. [5] [6] [20] [28] [29] [30] [31] Statistics overview Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason Independent (1881–1891) 1881 3–3 1882 1–1 1883 3–3 1884 3–0 1885 4–2 1886 4–6 1887 4–6–1 1888 10–2 1889 6–4 1890 2–4 1891 4–3 No team (1892) Independent (1893–1936) 1893 1–3 1894 Harry Miller 5–7 1895 Harry Miller 8–4 1896 Jack Abbott 5–4 1897 W. W. Bustard 9–4 1898 W. W. Bustard 9–4 1899 William Magill 11–2 1900 William Magill 6–7 1901 William Magill 6–7 1902 Frank Rudderham 11–8 1903 Frank Rudderham 11–4 1904 Frank Rudderham 4–6 1905 Frank Rudderham 7–9 1906 E. G. Butman 3–12 1907 W. J. Fitzmaurice 1–12 1908 W. J. Fitzmaurice 1–12 1909 P. J. Noonan 7–5 1910 Pat Keefe 8–4 1911 Edgar Wingard 3–8 1912 George Magoon 7–6–1 1913 George Magoon 5–7 1914 John Phelan 5–6 1915 John Phelan 7–9 1916 Monte Cross 8–4–2 1917 Monte Cross 2–4 1918 Monte Cross 3–5 1919 Monte Cross 8–5 1920 Monte Cross 7–5 1921 Monte Cross 5–10–1 1922 Wilkie Clark 8–7 1923 Wilkie Clark 6–8 1924 Joseph Murphy 5–8 1925 Joseph Murphy 5–6–1 1926 Fred Brice 6–5 1927 Fred Brice 7–4 1928 Fred Brice 3–9 1929 Fred Brice 8–6 1930 Fred Brice 8–7 1931 Fred Brice 7–6 1932 Fred Brice 9–5 1933 Fred Brice 5–7 1934 Fred Brice 5–7 1935 Fred Brice 7–6 1936 William Kenyon 6–6 Independent: 312–314–8 New England Conference (1937–1943) 1937 William Kenyon 9–5–1 3–3 2nd 1938 William Kenyon 11–7 6–2 1st 1939 William Kenyon 4–13 0–8 5th 1940 William Kenyon 5–11 1–6 5th 1941 William Kenyon 4–12 1–6 5th 1942 William Kenyon 6–8 3–5 t-3rd 1943 William Kenyon 4–8 3–5 4th New England: 43–64–1 17–35 No team (1944) Independent (1945–1948) 1945 William Kenyon 2–7 1946 William Kenyon 3–8 1947 William Kenyon 7–6 1948 William Kenyon 2–9–1 Independent: 12–30–1 Yankee Conference (1949–1979) 1949 William Kenyon 4–11 1–4 5th 1950 Mike Lude 12–9 4–1 1st 1951 Mike Lude 10–10 2–4 t-5th 1952 Tubby Raymond 11–10–1 3–2 3rd 1953 Tubby Raymond 11–7 2–2 t-3rd 1954 Tubby Raymond 14–9 3–3 3rd 1955 Walter Anderson 12–10 2–5 6th 1956 Walter Anderson 7–11–1 0–7 6th 1957 Jack Butterfield 6–14 3–5 t-4th 1958 Jack Butterfield 12–9 5–3 3rd 1959 Jack Butterfield 12–8 7–3 2nd 1960 Jack Butterfield 12–8 8–2 t-1st 1961 Jack Butterfield 9–13–1 2–6–1 5th 1962 Jack Butterfield 9–14 5–5 3rd 1963 Jack Butterfield 9–12 4–5 4th 1964 Jack Butterfield 21–8 8–2 1st College World Series 1965 Jack Butterfield 14–7 6–4 t-3rd 1966 Jack Butterfield 15–9–1 7–3 t-1st 1967 Jack Butterfield 15–7 5–5 t-3rd 1968 Jack Butterfield 10–9 3–7 t-4th 1969 Jack Butterfield 12–12 6–4 t-2nd 1970 Jack Butterfield 18–6 8–2 t-1st 1971 Jack Butterfield 16–12 6–9 3rd 1972 Jack Butterfield 20–7 8–4 t-2nd 1973 Jack Butterfield 15–9 4–4 3rd 1974 Jack Butterfield 15–5 4–3 t-3rd 1975 John Winkin 25–8–1 5–2–1 1st NCAA Regional 1976 John Winkin 29–9 6–2 2nd College World Series 1977 John Winkin 24–11 5–3 t-2nd ECAC Tournament 1978 John Winkin 20–9 4–4 2nd 1979 John Winkin 23–9 7–3 t-1st ECAC Tournament Yankee: 442–292–5 143–118–2 Independent [lower-alpha 2] (1980–1981) 1980 John Winkin 23–13–1 NCAA Regional 1981 John Winkin 32–14 College World Series Independent: 55–27–1 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference [lower-alpha 3] (1982–1989) 1982 John Winkin 35–13 10–3 1st (New England) College World Series 1983 John Winkin 29–16 11–1 1st (New England) College World Series 1984 John Winkin 33–20 15–3 1st (New England) College World Series 1985 John Winkin 38–17 11–0 1st (New England) ECAC Tournament 1986 John Winkin 41–23 13–1 1st (New England) College World Series 1987 John Winkin 24–23 8–6 3rd (New England) 1988 John Winkin 33–24 10–2 1st (New England) ECAC Tournament 1989 John Winkin 32–26 14–1 1st (New England) ECAC Tournament ECAC: 265–162 92–17 North Atlantic/America East (1990–present) 1990 John Winkin 42–20 12–3 1st NCAA Regional 1991 John Winkin 48–18 14–1 1st NCAA Regional 1992 John Winkin 19–24–1 11–11 5th 1993 John Winkin 33–27 22–4 1st NCAA Regional 1994 John Winkin 20–33 13–12 4th NAC tournament [lower-alpha 4] 1995 John Winkin 20–37 11–13 6th NAC tournament 1996 John Winkin 19–36 12–8 t-2nd NAC tournament 1997 Paul Kostacopoulos 24–27 16–8 2nd America East tournament 1998 Paul Kostacopoulos 24–26 12–16 5th 1999 Paul Kostacopoulos 28–28 14–14 t-4th America East tournament 2000 Paul Kostacopoulos 25–24 14–12 5th 2001 Paul Kostacopoulos 36–15 20–8 2nd America East tournament 2002 Paul Kostacopoulos 40–17 16–6 1st NCAA Regional 2003 Paul Kostacopoulos 38–18 17–7 2nd America East tournament 2004 Paul Kostacopoulos 34–21 14–7 t-2nd America East tournament 2005 Paul Kostacopoulos 35–19 14–7 t-2nd NCAA Regional 2006 Steve Trimper 35–22–1 13–9 3rd NCAA Regional 2007 Steve Trimper 22–31 12–11 4th America East tournament 2008 Steve Trimper 20–28–1 8–15 7th 2009 Steve Trimper 32–23 13–11 5th 2010 Steve Trimper 34–22 17–7 2nd America East tournament 2011 Steve Trimper 33–24 18–6 2nd NCAA Regional 2012 Steve Trimper 28–28 11–11 4th America East tournament 2013 Steve Trimper 37–22 20–9 1st America East tournament 2014 Steve Trimper 24–29 10–11 5th America East tournament 2015 Steve Trimper 24–28 10–10 T-3rd America East tournament 2016 Steve Trimper 20–35 8–15 6th America East tournament 2017 Nick Derba 25–29 8–12 5th America East tournament 2018 Nick Derba 20–34 12–12 5th America East tournament 2019 Nick Derba 15–34 11–12 5th America East tournament 2020 Nick Derba 1–12 0–0 N/A Postseason cancelled due to COVID-19 2021 Nick Derba 22–22 16–17 2nd (Division A) America East tournament 2022 Nick Derba 27–22 21–9 1st (Division A) America East tournament 2023 Nick Derba 32–19 19–5 1st (Division A) America East tournament NAC/America East: 878–813–3 419-305 Total: 2,017–1,691–16       National champion        Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion Notable players The following is a list of notable former Black Bears and the seasons in which they played for the program, where available. [4] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] Clarence Blethen (1912–1915) Mike Bordick (1984–1986) Kevin Buckley (1979–1981) Brian Butterfield (1976) Jack Butterfield (1951–1953) John Cumberland (1966) Harvey Cushman (1897) Michael Driscoll (1911–1916) Joe Ferris (1963–1966) Pat French (1912–1917) Fred Howard (1975) Joe Johnson (1980–1982) Otis Lawry (1914–1916) Jack Leggett (1973–1976) Bill Livesey (1959–1962) Marty McHale (1908–1910) Stump Merrill (1963–1966) Jeremy Peña (2016–2018) Jeff Plympton (1985–1987) Ralph Pond (1909–1910) Irv Ray (1883–1888) Bert Roberge (1973–1976) Harland Rowe (1914–1916) Curt Smith (2005–2008) Dean Smith Mark Sweeney (1988–1991) Bill Swift (1981–1984) Larry Thomas (1989–1991) Bob Whalen (1976–1979) Major League Baseball Draft 2011 Two Black Bears were selected in the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft: OF Taylor Lewis by the Pittsburgh Pirates (10th round) and P Keith Bilodeau by the San Francisco Giants (24th round). [37] Both players signed professional contracts. [38] [39] 2012 Two Black Bears were selected in the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft: P Jeff Gibbs by the Arizona Diamondbacks (9th round) and P Steve Perakslis by the Chicago Cubs (21st round). Gibbs's 9th-round selection was the program's highest since Mike Collar was chosen in the 8th round in 2003. [37] Both Gibbs and Perakslis signed professional contracts. [40] [41] 2013 Two Black Bears were selected in the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft, both in the 27th round: SS Michael Fransoso by the Pittsburgh Pirates and P Michael Connolly by the San Francisco Giants. [37] Both players signed professional contracts. [42] [43] 2014 No Black Bears were selected but Tommy Lawrence signed with the Tampa Bay Rays 2018 Two Black Bears were selected in the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft: In the 3rd round SS Jeremy Pena by the Houston Astros and in the 5th round C Chris Bec was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays. See also List of NCAA Division I baseball programs Maine Black Bears Notes Maine competed to qualify for the ECAC Tournament starting in 1976, but the ECAC did not sponsor regular, round-robin conference play until 1982. Although Maine's in-New England games counted towards qualification for the ECAC Tournament from 1980 to 1981, the league did not sponsor regular, round-robin conference play until 1982. Maine began competing to qualify for the ECAC Tournament in 1976, but the body did not adopt regular, round-robin scheduling until 1982. Since the ECAC did not award a regular season champion, Maine continued to compete in the Yankee Conference until it folded after the 1979 season. In this season, all members of the North Atlantic Conference qualified for its postseason tournament. References Colors – Branding Toolbox – University of Maine . Retrieved April 5, 2017. Smith, David C. (1979). The First Century: A History of the University of Maine, 1865–1965. University of Maine at Orono Press. Cole, Scott (November 24, 1981). "From a Baseball Team to 24 Sports and 166 Titles". Bangor Daily News. p. 16. Retrieved August 4, 2013.[ dead link ] "University of Maine Baseball Players Who Made It to the Major Leagues". Baseball-Almanac.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2004. Retrieved July 20, 2013. "2013 Maine Black Bears Baseball Media Guide". Maine Sports Information. p. 12. Archived from the original on June 10, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2013. "Baseball" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 22, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2014. "Monte Cross Is Well Liked as Coach of University of Maine Baseball Team". Lewiston Daily Sun. April 7, 1916. p. 9. Retrieved August 4, 2013.[ dead link ] "Monte Cross Awarded "M"". Lewiston Evening Journal. June 17, 1919. p. 6. Retrieved August 4, 2013.[ dead link ] "Fred Brice Must Fill Four Holes in Pale Blue Nine". Lewiston Daily Sun. August 5, 2013. p. 8. Retrieved August 5, 2013.[ dead link ] "Kenyon, Cassidy Head Up UMaine Hall Inductees". Bangor Daily News. August 12, 2005. p. D5. Retrieved August 5, 2013.[ dead link ] "Sports Survey". The Lewiston Daily Sun. Lewiston, Maine, USA. 24 December 1946. p. 17. Retrieved 23 December 2012. The new conference is an outgrowth of the old New England College Conference on Collegiate Athletics founded in 1923, but has the University of Vermont and been extended by the inclusion of broadened by provisions for championship selection.[ dead link ] "Adopts Eligibility Rule: New England Conference Changes Rule for Transfer Athletes". New York Times. 2 December 1923. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2012. "N. E. Conference Expansion Plan". Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 12 December 1937. p. A31. Retrieved 24 December 2012. "Maine Coach 'Mike' Lude Resigns Post for Delaware Berth". The Lewiston Daily Sun. Associated Press. March 17, 1951. 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Retrieved July 20, 2014.[ dead link ] "2013 America East Conference Baseball Record Book" (PDF). AmericaEast.com. America East Conference. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 24, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2013. Mahoney, Larry (May 30, 2002). "Maine May Fit Bill as Future NCAA Regional Site". BangorDailyNews.com. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2014. "Trimper Named Maine's Head Coach". USAToday.com. August 18, 2005. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2014. Warner, Pete (October 25, 2012). "Trimper Agrees to 3-Year Extension as University of Maine Baseball Coach". BangorDailyNews.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2014. Warner, Pete (May 21, 2013). "UMaine's Fransoso Named America East Baseball MVP; Lawrence, Trimper Also Honored". BangorDailyNews.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2014. McCreary, Jody (June 4, 2011). "Gibbs, Maine Top FIU 4–1 in NCAAs". Yahoo.com. Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2014. "NCAA Men's College World Series Records" (PDF). NCAA. 2009. p. 207. Retrieved 22 April 2012. "Former UMaine Coach John Winkin to Be Inducted into College Baseball Hall of Fame". BangorDailyNews.com. April 11, 2013. Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2013. "Annual Conference Standings". BoydsWorld.com. Archived from the original on June 21, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2013. "2013 America East Conference Baseball Standings". D1Baseball.com. Jeremy and Cynthia Mills. Archived from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2013. "2013 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship Record Book" (PDF). NCAA.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 10, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2013. 2010 Baseball Media Guide (PDF). Maine Black Bears. Retrieved July 13, 2017. "All-Time Hall of Fame Inductees". GoBlackBears.com. Maine Sports Information. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2013. Traughber, Bill (May 9, 2011). "Looking Back: Former Sounds Manager Stump Merrill". MILB.com. Nashville Sounds. Archived from the original on April 5, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2013. Smith, Claire (June 7, 1990). "A Big Dream Comes True for Stump Merrill". The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 25, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2013. "Sports Briefs". BangorDailyNews.com. March 14, 2013. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2013. "#7 Jack Leggett". ClemsonTigers.com. Clemson Sports Information. Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2013. "University of Maine Draft Picks". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2013. "Pittsburgh Pirates 2011 Draft Selections". Pittsburgh Pirates. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2013. "San Francisco Giants 2011 Draft Selections". San Francisco Giants. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2013. "Arizona Diamondbacks 2012 Draft Selections". Arizona Diamondbacks. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2013. "Chicago Cubs 2012 Draft Selections". Chicago Cubs. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2013. "Pittsburgh Pirates 2013 Draft Selections". Pittsburgh Pirates. Archived from the original on January 15, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2013. Warner, Pete (June 21, 2013). "UMaine's Connolly Agrees to Contract with San Francisco Giants". BangorDailyNews.com. Archived from the original on September 26, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013. External links Official website