AUGUSTA — With many baseball and softball fields across the state saturated by rain, the Maine Principals’ Association announced Monday that the last playable date for regular season games has been moved from May 31 to June 2.

The two additional days may be used for make-up dates. Schools will not need permission from the baseball or softball committee chairs to move games into the last week of the season. Normally, permission is required to schedule a make-up game during that week.

The MPA has backed up the regular-season calendar in the past but seldom this early, said Mike Burnham, the MPA’s assistant executive director and the liaison to the baseball committee.

“It’s just based on the late start that schools had because of the slow snow melt, we’ve had wet conditions now for the better part of a week and the forecast of another week of wet weather,” Burnham said.

Several teams across the state have played three or fewer games. In southern Maine, where most schools schedule 16-game seasons in softball and baseball, the majority of teams entered the week with at least 10 games remaining.

“That’s a good step in a good direction,” said Rich Drummond, athletic director at Windham High. “This isn’t just a northern Maine, or a central Maine, or a southern Maine problem. It’s statewide. It’s been very, very tough this spring.”

The baseball and softball tournaments are scheduled to begin June 6 with regional preliminary round games.

Steve Craig can be reached at 791-6413

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