The University of Maine’s defending America East champion baseball team will limp into this weekend’s best-of-three America East series against visiting Binghamton with an eight-game losing streak.
They will play at 3 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. Sunday at Mahaney Diamond in Orono.
The good news for UMaine is that the last six losses came in meaningless non-conference games.
But now it is crunch time as the injury-ravaged Black Bears have 12 conference games remaining along with a non-conference game at Dartmouth on May 8.
Nine of those 12 America East games will be in Orono.
UMaine, which is 8-28 overall, has a 4-7 league record and is sitting in sixth place in the seven-team league.
Six teams qualify for the double-elimination America East tournament beginning on May 21 in Binghamton. The top two teams earn first-round byes.
Every team has at least five league losses except league leader Bryant, which is 13-2 including a pair of extra-inning 5-4 wins over UMaine.
Binghamton is right above UMaine at 6-9 in the conference, 16-20 overall, and Albany is below UMaine at 3-11 and 5-28.
UMaine closes out the season by hosting Albany on May 16, 17,18.
After hosting Binghamton, UMaine will travel to the University of Maryland Baltimore County (7-5, 16-17) for three and then host Bryant (13-2, 26-12) for a three-game set before finishing up with Albany.
“Our number one goal is to make the tournament and we need to win six of our last 12 league games to secure a spot,” said UMaine head coach Nick Derba. “We need to win a series here or there and make sure we don’t get swept.”
The list of players lost for the season has swelled to six and the Black Bears continue to be without All-America East first team pitcher Gianni Gambardella (tendinitis in his throwing arm).
Gambardella hasn’t pitched since April 7.
“He might return although I don’t know when. It won’t be this weekend or next weekend,” said Derba.
The Black Bears have been without All-AE first team pitcher Colin Fitzgerald (hip surgery) and 2022 All-AE Rookie team pitcher Caleb Leys (Tommy John surgery) for the entire season.
As a result, the inexperienced pitching staff has struggled mightily. Its 9.30 earned run average is 284th among 295 Division 1 teams and its average of 8.2 walks issued over nine innings is 292nd. The staff has also hit 64 batters and uncorked 72 wild pitches.
During the eight-game losing streak, UMaine has given up 103 runs including at least 11 in seven of the losses. The staff has walked 69 hitters and hit 17.
But in two midweek losses to Merrimack, Derba said he was encouraged by the outings turned in by Noah Lewis, Gabe Gifford, Ryan Scott and Tyler Nielsen even though the stat lines for Lewis (five runs in two innings) and Gifford (four runs in three innings) aren’t flattering.
However, Derba liked the fact Lewis didn’t walk anyone and was around the plate with his pitches, saying Lewis “took a big step forward.”
Lewis was an All-AE second team pitcher a year ago thanks to his 4.32 earned-run average but he has a 15.92 ERA this season.
He also said he thought freshman Gifford threw the ball well as did Scott and Nielsen.
Derba confirmed that recent injuries suffered by starting second baseman Myles Sargent (hand), who was hitting .324 with a homer and 14 runs batted in, and left fielder Nick White (.226-4-24) are season-ending.
White has a separated shoulder.
Freshman outfielders Chase Trolaro (knee) and Evan Baschnagel (elbow) are also lost for the season.
But catcher Dean O’Neill returned after sitting out with a concussion; infielder Jeph Hadson-Taylor was in the lineup after suffering back spasms and designated hitter Connor Goodman was able to play with his braced-up knee.
UMaine does have three hitters who are hot of late.
Third Team All-American and America East Player of the Year Jeremiah Jenkins is hitting .389 over his last nine games with four homers and 13 runs batted in. He now has 16 homers and 38 RBIs.
Right fielder Zach Martin is hitting .375 over his last eight games and Jake Marquez, who has been moved from shortstop to second base, has hit .350 during his current five-game hitting streak with two homers and seven RBIs.
Derba said he will sacrifice defense in favor of offense because he knows his team will have to put runs on the board.
“I will put as many bats in the lineup as I can. Having O’Neill back makes the lineup better,” said Derba. “The fact of the matter is, we are going to walk some people no matter what, so we have to be able to (hit) ourselves out of some situations.
“If we stay healthy, our offense will be okay as long as we stay in the game. We aren’t going to be able to claw out of an eight-run deficit,” said Derba who stressed that his pitchers have to throw more strikes.
Freshman Jason Krieger and sophomore Luc Lavigueur will start on the mound on Friday and Saturday, respectively, and Derba doesn’t know will start on Sunday.
He said he will have a “tournament-style” pitching philosophy.
“Everybody has to be available,” said Derba, who is hoping to get reliever Colton Carson back (oblique strain).
He said despite the injuries, he feels his team still has enough talent to string together a winning streak and make some noise in the tournament if it gets in.
