Ed Flaherty wasn’t sure what to expect this year from the University of Southern Maine baseball team. He knew the pitching would be strong, led by returners Andrew Richards, Tyler Leavitt and Shyler Scates.
After that?
“We’re pretty much replacing the whole offensive lineup except for (Sam) Dexter and (Paul) McDonough,” said Flaherty, in his 30th season as Huskies head coach. “So I didn’t know going in how good we would be.”
The early returns are rather encouraging. USM, which advanced to the NCAA Division III World Series each of the last two years, is 9-5 entering Thursday’s game at Salem (Massachusetts) State College. The Huskies are ranked 15th in one national poll (NCBWA/D3Baseball.com), 18th in another (Collegiate Baseball).
“I’d say we’re off to a little better start that I thought,” said Flaherty, “even though last Saturday was a disappointment (losing a Little East Conference doubleheader at Western Connecticut State) because you don’t want to start 0-2 in the conference. But those were tough conditions to play in (with a couple of snow delays).
“I don’t know if right now we really have a total idea of where we’re going just yet. But it could develop into a pretty good team.”
Dexter, the junior shortstop from Oakland (Messalonskee) and McDonough (the sophomore designated hitter from Wells) are among the best hitters in New England. And Richards, Leavitt and Scates can all carry the team with their arms. But the Huskies are also playing well because of four freshmen in starting roles.
Nick Bowie of South Paris (Oxford Hills) is playing center field, Devin Warren of Smithfield (Messalonskee) is in left field, Anthony Capuano of Bangor is at first and Brandon Martins of Manorville, New York, is at second.
“We’re playing four freshman in the lineup, and I don’t think I’ve done that in 30 years,” said Flaherty, who has a career record of 888-399-4.
Add sophomore Matt Bender, a reserve last year, at third and there’s a lot of new faces on the field. “With all that, you don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Flaherty.
The Huskies won 7 of 10 games on their annual Florida trip. That, said Richards, gave the team some needed confidence.
“It’s always good to beat some good teams in Florida,” said Richards, a senior righty from South Portland. He is 4-2 with a 1.19 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 301/3 innings – all in relief.
“I think he’s upped his game a little bit more this year,” Dexter said of Richards. “You can see it in his eyes. We’re all really confident when he comes in.”
What both Dexter and Richards like about this team is its ability to come back, which the Huskies have done in several games already. A perfect example was Sunday’s 5-4 win over UMass-Dartmouth, a day after losing the doubleheader. The Corsairs led 2-0 after one inning, but USM scored four in the seventh to win it.
“Everybody has a positive mindset,” said Dexter. “To come back and beat a good Dartmouth team showed that we still have some fight in us.”
And it’s a team, said Flaherty, that should only get better. “The key for us has always been to survive the first two weeks when we come back from Florida,” he said. “We’re on the road, we’re playing in cold weather.”
Leavitt, the LEC Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore, hasn’t pitched as well as he can yet. And players like sophomore Jake Welch, from Londonderry, New Hampshire, will improve. Welch is platooning at second and gaining valuable experience.
McDonough, last year’s second baseman, suffered a torn labrum in his throwing (right) shoulder in the fall and cannot play in the field. As the DH he is hitting .386 with a team-high three home runs. Bender leads the team with 16 RBI.
And then there’s Dexter. “If he’s not the best kid I’ve coached, he’s certainly in the top two or three,” Flaherty said.
Dexter was named LEC player of the week on Monday and is hitting .500. “I think the sky’s the limit for this team,” he said. “But it is a process and each game we mature a little more.”
BASEBALL
Bowdoin College senior Henry Van Zant of Westport, Connecticut, was named the New England Small College Athletic Conference co-pitcher of the week. Van Zant allowed four hits, no walks and no earned runs while striking out three in a 6-1 complete-game victory over Tufts. He is 2-1 with a 1.71 ERA.
BASKETBALL
Bowdoin junior Lucas Hausman of Westport, Connecticut, was named to the third team of the Division III all-America team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He averaged 20.7 points in becoming the third player in program history to earn all-America status.
• University of New England senior forward Kelly Coleman of Portland, Connecticut, was named to the D3hoops.com all-America fourth team. Coleman led UNE in scoring (14.3 points) and rebounding (6.5). She finished her career with 1,508 points, fifth all time for the Nor’easters.
• Senior forward Nikoline Ostergaard of Vedbaek, Denmark, (Morse High) started all 35 games for Quinnipiac, which advanced to the first round of the NCAA Division I tournament. Ostergaard averaged 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists for the Bobcats (31-4).
LACROSSE
The Assumption College women’s team is off to one of the best starts in program history at 7-2, aided by three Mainers.
Senior attack Camille Auger of Kennebunk has 17 goals and three assists along with 10 ground balls and nine draw controls. Her 17 goals and 20 points are second on the team. Auger has 98 career goals for the Greyhounds. Freshman midfielder Meghan Cushing of Gorham has four goals and two assists in nine starts, while leading the team with 25 ground balls and 27 draw controls. Freshman defender Morgan Cushing (yes, they’re twins) has played in five games with two ground balls and two draw controls.
• Senior attack Kate Boyer of Standish (Bonny Eagle) has five goals and two assists for St. Michael’s College (1-5). Boyer has 71 goals and six assists in 50 career games for the Purple Knights.
• Sophomore midfielder/attack Billy Farrell of Portland (Deering) has scored one goal for the men’s team at St. Michael’s College (4-2).
SOFTBALL
UNE sophomore Katelyn Austin of Bethlehem, New Hampshire, was named Commonwealth Coast Conference pitcher of the week. She threw two complete-game victories, striking out five in each game. She allowed one walk, 13 hits and two earned runs over 12 innings.
TENNIS
Junior Charlie Merry of Kennebunk won his first match of the season last week for St. Michael’s College’s men’s team. Merry is 1-3 at No. 2 singles for the Purple Knights (0-4). He also plays No. 2 doubles. Merry’s singles victory came against St. Anselm by a 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 score.
• USM senior Scott Gagne of Lewiston was named LEC player of the week, going 4-0 in a pair of singles and doubles matches to help the Huskies win two matches. Playing No. 2 singles this year, Gagne is 5-2.
TRACK & FIELD
USM junior Zach Miller of Rochester, New Hampshire, was named the Little East Conference track athlete of the week. Miller won the 400-meter run at the Tufts University Snowflake Invitational with a time of 50.24 seconds. That time qualified him for the New England Division III championships in May.
• USM sophomore Ashley Belanger of Biddeford was named the LEC field athlete of the week. Belanger finished seventh in the shot put at the University of North Florida Spring Break Invitational with a throw of 41 feet, 31/4 inches – just 11/4 inches short of the school record.
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