It is 2,168 miles from Abilene, Texas, to Bangor.
Bridgeport, Texas, is 100 miles closer.
Abilene’s Landon Williams and Bridgeport’s Marcus Delgado flew to Bangor recently to play for the Bangor Babes, the first-year team in the Greater Northeast Collegiate Baseball League.
This past spring, they played for Galveston College, a junior college in Texas.
They are looking forward to spending a summer in the cooler temperatures in Maine.
The Babes are part of a five-team league within the state and they will play a 24-game regular season schedule followed by playoffs beginning with a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Sunday at The Ballpark in Old Orchard Beach against the Old Orchard Beach Bugs.
They will play their first six games on the road before hosting the Gorham Lightning on Wednesday, June 12 at 6 p.m. at the Dr. John Winkin Complex on the Husson University campus in Bangor.
Williams has relatives in Lewiston and Parkman and the two of them are staying in Parkman, which is 48 miles from Bangor.
They attended the team’s first practice and met their teammates and head coach Trevor DeLaite on Thursday at the Winkin Complex.
Williams said he learned about the team and the league in a news article.
“I applied, talked to (head) coach Trevor (DeLaite) and that was about it,” said Williams, a catcher-outfielder. “I got the plane tickets and now we’re here.”
There’s already a lot to like about his new surroundings, Williams said.
“Maine is gorgeous. I love it. The other day, it was 108 degrees at home and today it was 65. It feels great,” said Williams. “We’re living on a lake, fishing and playing baseball, it’s fun. I’m excited.”
Delgado had never been to Maine.
“(Wiliams) asked me to come so I came. It’s awesome. It’s beautiful up here. It’s way different from Texas,” said Delgado, a shortstop who can also play other infield positions.
“It’s cooler weather. It’s going to be nice, not sweating so much. I’m excited for the summer,” Delgado added.
Williams played in only six games at Galveston due to injury but he will be playing Division I baseball in the fall at Prairie View A&M in Texas.
Delgado played in 43 games for Galveston College and isn’t sure where he will be playing in the fall.
Their first impressions of DeLaite and their future teammates were positive.
“(DeLaite) is awesome. He seems to know what he’s doing. He has a good background,” said Williams.
Delgado agreed.
“It was great to meet the team and the coach seems awesome,” said Delgado. “I’m excited. I’m having a good time so far and I hope it continues.”
Williams said after missing most of the season due to injury, he is looking forward to getting some at-bats and some playing time behind the plate and in the outfield.
Another player looking for playing time will be Harmony’s Tyler Annis, who was a freshman at the University of Maine this past season but appeared in only six of the Black Bears’ 49 games.
“This is going to be very valuable to me. I didn’t get a lot of reps this year,” said Annis. “This is where I have to come and get most of my reps and, hopefully, get better.”
Annis was an outstanding high school shortstop at Skowhegan High but can play a variety of positions.
“I think there is going to be a lot of good competition,” said Annis, who likes the fact he can stay in Maine and play summer baseball instead of having to leave the state to play.
Greenbush’s Tanner Evans was the starting third baseman for the Husson University baseball team that went 2-2 in the NCAA Division III regional in Willimantic, Conn. It was the first time in program history the Eagles had reached a regional final and their two losses came to the No. 1 team in the country, Endicott, 6-2 and 4-3.
“This is a pretty cool opportunity,” said Evans, who starred in hockey and baseball at Old Town High School. “A lot of my (Husson) teammates are going to be playing for teams in the league. It’s going to be fun.”
There is a lengthy list of players on the roster from eastern Maine in addition to Evans.
It includes the Thomas College of Waterville duo of Belfast’s Jason Bartlett and Old Town’s Matt Seymour; Husson’s Allen Wheaton from Glenburn; Hampden’s Sam Economy who plays for NCAA Division II Clarion University (Pa.); Isaac Hainer from Lincoln who is at Clark University (Mass.) and Millinocket’s Jack Morris (Southern Maine Community College).
Another Husson player, Alex Smith from Northborough, Mass., is also on the roster.
Former Bangor High, University of Maine and Liberty University pitching standout DeLaite was recently named the head coach and has been hustling to put together his roster. He said his primary need is pitchers.
General Manager Colton Albertson has been doing a lot of the behind-the-scenes work like tweaking the schedule; finding housing and jobs for the players who live in other states or far from the Bangor area and organizing those involved with the ticket sales and the website.
He is also looking to set up some community-oriented promotional events on game nights like a youth league night or bring-your-dog-to-the-ballpark evening.
“Everyone has done a good job bringing things together,” said Albertson. “It’s great to be a part of this. It’s exciting bringing a competitive sport back to this area. It’s needed for the players and for the community.”
