PORTLAND — In this unseasonably warm winter, the University of Maine baseball team has actually held a few outdoor practices, complete with flyball drills.

Maine coach Steve Trimper said those drills will be different in May when the Black Bears come to Portland.

“We’ll hit some balls off the wall,” he said.

The wall is the Maine Monster in left field at Hadlock Field, the 37-foot replica of the other Monster at Fenway Park.

The Black Bears, the defending America East champions, will play Boston College of the Atlantic Coast Conference at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 15 at Hadlock.

It will be the Black Bears’ first game at Hadlock since they romped past Massachusetts 21-8 in 1998. A 2000 game with Holy Cross at Hadlock was canceled because Maine needed to schedule make-up league games.

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Hadlock’s Maine Monster was built in 2003 when the Portland Sea Dogs became a Red Sox affiliate.

Previously, the Black Bears have played at Goodall Park in Sanford and The Ballpark in Old Orchard Beach.

Trimper said the idea for playing at Hadlock came when Trimper was watching a hockey game with state senator Justin Alfond of Portland.

“He suggested we play (at Hadlock). I said OK and, the next day, the Sea Dogs called,” Trimper said.

“We’re very interested to play in southern Maine for a couple of reasons. It’s a good chance for alumni and fans here to see us, and it’s good for recruiting. We like to get local players.”

Among the southern Maine players on Maine are Robbie and Steve Trask of Saco, Scott Heath of Westbrook, and Sam Balzano of Portland (Deering High).

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Two former Deering players are on the BC roster — Nick Colucci and Matt (Watson) Pare.

Neither Maine nor BC will likely use their top pitchers since both teams have conference games the next weekend. But Trimper said his Black Bears will be motivated to knock off an ACC team.

“This is not a scrimmage,” he said. “We’re going there to beat them.”

Tickets for the game are $6 and already on sale at the Hadlock ticket office (or through www.seadogs.com). A limited number of sky boxes are also available for rent.


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