Maine Black Bears baseball

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Maine Black Bears
Baseball current event.svg 2024 Maine Black Bears baseball team
Maine Black Bears script.svg
Founded1881
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
ColorsMaine 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.

Contents

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. CrossMonte photo1.jpg
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 UMass Lowell vs. Maine (13829330115).jpg
Maine playing against UMass Lowell in 2014

Conference membership

Maine in the NCAA tournament

YearRecordPctNotes
1964 5–2.714 College World Series 3rd place, District 1 Champions
1975 2–2.500 Northeast Regional
1976 6–2.750 College World Series 4th place, Northeast Regional Champions
1980 1–2.333 Northeast Regional
1981 3-3.500 College World Series 7th place, Northeast Regional Champions
1982 5-2.714 College World Series 3rd place, Northeast Regional Champions
1983 3-2.600 College World Series 7th place, Northeast Regional Champions
1984 3-3.500 College World Series 7th place, Northeast Regional Champions
1986 3-2.600 College World Series 7th place, Northeast Regional Champions
1990 1–2.333 Northeast Regional
1991 3–2.600 Northeast Regional
1993 0–2.000 Central II Regional
2002 0–2.000 Los Angeles Regional
2005 1–2.333 Oxford Regional
2023 0–2.000 Coral Gables Regional
TOTALS
37-36.507

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

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)CoachSeasonsW-L-TPct
1881–1891, 1893Unknown1245–37–1.549
1894–1895Harry Miller213–11.542
1896 Jack Abbott 15–4.556
1897–1898W. W. Bustard218–8.692
1899–1901William Magill324–13.649
1902–1905Frank Rudderham433–27.550
1906E. G. Butman13–12.200
1907–1908W. J. Fitzmaurice27–18.280
1909P. J. Noonan17–5.583
1910Pat Keefe18–4.667
1911 Edgar Wingard 13–8.272
1912–1913George Magoon212–13–1.480
1914–1915John Phelan212–15.444
1916–1921 Monte Cross 633–33–3.500
1922–1923Wilkie Clark214–15.483
1924–1925Joseph Murphy210–14–1.417
1926–1935 Fred Brice 1067–60.528
1936–1943, 1945–1949 William C. Kenyon 1367–111–2.376
1950–1951 Mike Lude 222–19.537
1952–1954 Tubby Raymond 236–26–1.581
1954–1956Walter Anderson319–21–1.475
1957–1974 Jack Butterfield 18240–169–2.588
1975–1996 John Winkin 22642–430–3.599
1997–2005 Paul Kostacopoulos 9284–195.593
2006–2016 Steve Trimper 11309–292–2.514
2017–present Nick Derba 6110–153.418
Totals251402,043–1,713–18.544

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
SeasonCoachOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Independent (1881–1891)
18813–3
18821–1
18833–3
18843–0
18854–2
18864–6
18874–6–1
188810–2
18896–4
18902–4
18914–3
No team (1892)
Independent (1893–1936)
18931–3
1894Harry Miller 5–7
1895Harry Miller 8–4
1896 Jack Abbott 5–4
1897W. W. Bustard 9–4
1898W. W. Bustard 9–4
1899William Magill 11–2
1900William Magill 6–7
1901William Magill 6–7
1902Frank Rudderham 11–8
1903Frank Rudderham 11–4
1904Frank Rudderham 4–6
1905Frank Rudderham 7–9
1906E. G. Butman 3–12
1907W. J. Fitzmaurice 1–12
1908W. J. Fitzmaurice 1–12
1909P. J. Noonan 7–5
1910Pat Keefe 8–4
1911 Edgar Wingard 3–8
1912George Magoon 7–6–1
1913George Magoon 5–7
1914John Phelan 5–6
1915John Phelan 7–9
1916 Monte Cross 8–4–2
1917Monte Cross 2–4
1918Monte Cross 3–5
1919Monte Cross 8–5
1920Monte Cross 7–5
1921Monte Cross 5–10–1
1922Wilkie Clark 8–7
1923Wilkie Clark 6–8
1924Joseph Murphy 5–8
1925Joseph Murphy 5–6–1
1926 Fred Brice 6–5
1927Fred Brice 7–4
1928Fred Brice 3–9
1929Fred Brice 8–6
1930Fred Brice 8–7
1931Fred Brice 7–6
1932Fred Brice 9–5
1933Fred Brice 5–7
1934Fred Brice 5–7
1935Fred Brice 7–6
1936 William Kenyon 6–6
Independent:312–314–8
New England Conference (1937–1943)
1937 William Kenyon 9–5–13–32nd
1938William Kenyon 11–76–21st
1939William Kenyon 4–130–85th
1940William Kenyon 5–111–65th
1941William Kenyon 4–121–65th
1942William Kenyon 6–83–5t-3rd
1943William Kenyon 4–83–54th
New England:43–64–117–35
No team (1944)
Independent (1945–1948)
1945 William Kenyon 2–7
1946William 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 4–111–45th
1950 Mike Lude 12–94–11st
1951 Mike Lude 10–102–4t-5th
1952 Tubby Raymond 11–10–13–23rd
1953Tubby Raymond 11–72–2t-3rd
1954Tubby Raymond 14–93–33rd
1955Walter Anderson 12–102–56th
1956Walter Anderson 7–11–10–76th
1957 Jack Butterfield 6–143–5t-4th
1958Jack Butterfield 12–95–33rd
1959Jack Butterfield 12–87–32nd
1960Jack Butterfield 12–88–2t-1st
1961Jack Butterfield 9–13–12–6–15th
1962Jack Butterfield 9–145–53rd
1963Jack Butterfield 9–124–54th
1964Jack Butterfield 21–88–21st College World Series
1965Jack Butterfield 14–76–4t-3rd
1966Jack Butterfield 15–9–17–3t-1st
1967Jack Butterfield 15–75–5t-3rd
1968Jack Butterfield 10–93–7t-4th
1969Jack Butterfield 12–126–4t-2nd
1970Jack Butterfield 18–68–2t-1st
1971Jack Butterfield 16–126–93rd
1972Jack Butterfield 20–78–4t-2nd
1973Jack Butterfield 15–94–43rd
1974Jack Butterfield 15–54–3t-3rd
1975 John Winkin 25–8–15–2–11st NCAA Regional
1976John Winkin 29–96–22nd College World Series
1977John Winkin 24–115–3t-2ndECAC Tournament
1978John Winkin 20–94–42nd
1979John Winkin 23–97–3t-1stECAC Tournament
Yankee:442–292–5143–118–2
Independent [lower-alpha 2] (1980–1981)
1980John Winkin 23–13–1 NCAA Regional
1981John Winkin 32–14 College World Series
Independent:55–27–1
Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference [lower-alpha 3] (1982–1989)
1982John Winkin 35–1310–31st (New England) College World Series
1983John Winkin 29–1611–11st (New England) College World Series
1984John Winkin 33–2015–31st (New England) College World Series
1985John Winkin 38–1711–01st (New England)ECAC Tournament
1986John Winkin 41–2313–11st (New England) College World Series
1987John Winkin 24–238–63rd (New England)
1988John Winkin 33–2410–21st (New England)ECAC Tournament
1989John Winkin 32–2614–11st (New England)ECAC Tournament
ECAC:265–16292–17
North Atlantic/America East (1990–present)
1990 John Winkin 42–2012–31st NCAA Regional
1991John Winkin 48–1814–11st NCAA Regional
1992John Winkin 19–24–111–115th
1993John Winkin 33–2722–41st NCAA Regional
1994John Winkin 20–3313–124th NAC tournament [lower-alpha 4]
1995John Winkin 20–3711–136th NAC tournament
1996John Winkin 19–3612–8t-2nd NAC tournament
1997 Paul Kostacopoulos 24–2716–82nd America East tournament
1998Paul Kostacopoulos 24–2612–165th
1999Paul Kostacopoulos 28–2814–14t-4th America East tournament
2000Paul Kostacopoulos 25–2414–125th
2001Paul Kostacopoulos 36–1520–82nd America East tournament
2002 Paul Kostacopoulos 40–1716–61st NCAA Regional
2003 Paul Kostacopoulos 38–1817–72nd America East tournament
2004 Paul Kostacopoulos 34–2114–7t-2nd America East tournament
2005 Paul Kostacopoulos 35–1914–7t-2nd NCAA Regional
2006 Steve Trimper 35–22–113–93rd NCAA Regional
2007 Steve Trimper 22–3112–114th America East tournament
2008 Steve Trimper 20–28–18–157th
2009 Steve Trimper 32–2313–115th
2010 Steve Trimper 34–2217–72nd America East tournament
2011 Steve Trimper 33–2418–62nd NCAA Regional
2012 Steve Trimper 28–2811–114th America East tournament
2013 Steve Trimper 37–2220–91st America East tournament
2014 Steve Trimper 24–2910–115th America East tournament
2015 Steve Trimper 24–2810–10T-3rd America East tournament
2016 Steve Trimper 20–358–156th America East tournament
2017 Nick Derba 25–298–125th America East tournament
2018 Nick Derba 20–3412–125th America East tournament
2019 Nick Derba 15–3411–125th America East tournament
2020 Nick Derba 1–120–0N/APostseason cancelled due to COVID-19
2021 Nick Derba 22–2216–172nd (Division A) America East tournament
2022 Nick Derba 27–2221–91st (Division A) America East tournament
2023 Nick Derba 32–2119–51st NCAA Regional
NAC/America East:878–815–3419–305
Total:2,017–1,693–16

      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]

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

Notes

  1. Maine competed to qualify for the ECAC Tournament starting in 1976, but the ECAC did not sponsor regular, round-robin conference play until 1982.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. In this season, all members of the North Atlantic Conference qualified for its postseason tournament.

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Steve Trimper is an American college baseball coach who is currently the head coach for the Stetson Hatters baseball team out of the ASUN Conference. Previously, he served as the head coach at Maine from 2006 to 2016 and Manhattan from 1999 to 2005. An alumnus of Eastern Connecticut State University, Trimper played baseball there from 1990 to 1992 and was a member of the Warriors' 1990 Division III national championship team.

Bob Whalen is an American college baseball coach who has been the head coach of Dartmouth since the start of the 1990 season. Under him, the Big Green have appeared in two NCAA tournaments. A Maine alumnus, Whalen worked as an assistant coach there from 1982 to 1989.

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