With Sunday’s doubleheader sweep over UMaine-Presque Isle, UMaine-Farmington baseball coach Chris Bessey earned the 100th win of his career. Now in his eighth season, Bessey said he wasn’t aware of the milestone until after it had been reached.

“It shows the progress we’ve made,” Bessey said. “Hopefully we can keep improving.”

Sunday’s doubleheader sweep gave the Beavers a four-game sweep over the Owls this weekend. UMF is now 8-10 on the season, 5-3 in North Atlantic Conference play. The Beavers have a non-conference game at Bowdoin scheduled Wednesday, with a four-game conference series at Northern Vermont-Lyndon over the weekend.

The Beavers have cut down on strikeouts and are putting the ball in play, Bessey said. That’s helped to a .274 team batting average and .367 on base percentage, both improvement from last season. UMF averages just over five runs per game.

Junior first baseman Derek Bowen, a Lawrence High graduate, is hitting .324 with 14 runs batted in, tied for the team lead with Madison’s Chase Malloy. Kevin Carter is hitting .328 for the Beavers, with 11 runs batted in and a home run. Those veterans are leading a lineup that often has four freshmen, Bessey said.

“The top of the order has been pretty consistent,” Bessey said. “We often have four freshmen in the lineup. They’re learning the college game and facing pitchers who aren’t just trying to throw strikes.”

In game two of Sunday’s doubleheader, UMF started three freshmen: Hunter LaBossiere in left field, Troy Johnson at second base, and Zach Hartsgrove at catcher.

On the mound, a trio of starters have pitched well. Gavin Arsenault, Ryan Pratt, and Brice Springer each have an earned run average under 3.30. The trio has combined to start 11 of UMF’s 18 games, with a 5-4 record.

“We’re still trying to find a fourth and fifth starter who can be more consistent,” Bessey said.

The Beavers are tied for first place in the North Atlantic Conference with Husson. Both are 5-3 in conference play, although Husson took three of four games from UMF the last weekend of March.

 

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With six teams in the national top 20, the New England Small College Athletic Conference is the strongest Division III women’s lacrosse league in the nation. Colby, ranked 15th, already has played four of the five NESCAC rivals ranked ahead of them, going 1-3. The Mules have one more game scheduled against a team currently ranked, hosting No. 12 Trinity on April 20.

Wednesday’s game at Bowdoin gives Colby (7-3, 3-3 NESCAC) a chance to break a three-way tie for sixth place in the conference. The Mules, Bowdoin, and Amherst are currently tied at 3-3 in league play, but Colby already owns a win over the Mammoths.

 

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The Thomas College track and field team will host its first meet as a varsity program on Saturday, when it hosts the Thomas Small School Invitational.

The Terrier women and men each competed in the Jim Sheehan Memorial Invitational meet at Fitchburg State last Saturday. The men placed fifth in a field of 20 teams, while the women placed eighth in a field of 19.

Jarrod Ottman won the 3,000-meter steeplechase for the Terriers. Alexander Thompson placed third in the pole vault, and Mykal Glasgow finished sixth in the triple jump.

For the women, Faith Beaulieu placed third in the pole vault for the Terriers, while Lillian Friars took fourth in the discus.

The Thomas Invitational is the first of two meets for the Terriers before the North Atlantic Conference championship, April 28 at Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM

 

 

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