Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Digg
Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
After a donation last fall from University of Maine benefactors Phillip H. and Susan K. Morse, the natural grass surface at Mahaney Diamond will be replaced with turf at the conclusion of this spring’s baseball season.
“The outfield is wet. The drainage is gone in the field. Usually fields with grass are redone every 10 years, but it’s been 30 years since this field has been,” UMaine baseball Coach Steve Trimper said.
The $1 million gift from the Morse family will be used as a catalyst for the new surface on the baseball field, as well as replacing the surfaces at Morse Field and the field hockey facility. Total costs are estimated at $2.2 million.
“On a smaller scale, to Maine baseball [this donation and project] means the world,” Trimper said. “It’s more important than any scholarship money or budget upgrade.”
Playing in a Northeastern climate in the spring has been difficult for the Black Bear baseball team, as the field is usually not dried out and sometimes there is still snow on the field when home games start at the beginning of April.
Since Trimper’s appointment as head coach in 2005, five games have been moved to a different facility and four games have been cancelled due to the poor field conditions. Five of the first seven home games this season have already been moved to Husson College’s Winkin Complex in Bangor – the Division III Eagles have a turf surface.
“Each year we have between 15 and 20 home games, so over the past three years 50 percent of our schedule is being moved out of this facility,” Trimper said.
With the facility unplayable, practice has also been increasingly difficult for the Black Bears. This has left the team practicing in the UMaine Field House, the Mahaney Dome and the football field.
“The turf field helps us develop our team,” Trimper said. “We can practice outside and be in realistic situations. Even though the Mahaney Dome is outstanding, it’s not a baseball field.”
Without a viable home field or practice facility, the success of the Black Bears, who have won three America East championships in the past six years, is quite remarkable.
“Doing those things made us mentally tough, but now we get a field that is ready anytime. That’s exciting,” fourth-year starter Curt Smith said.
In addition to practicing and playing weekend series at home, Trimper also believes the new turf will help get more home games during the middle of the week against quality opponents.
UMaine has two mid-week home games, with one of the opposing teams being Division III Thomas College.
“No one wants to come up here during the middle of the week, and not because of the drive,” Trimper said. “If you’re going to spend the money and budget for it and you’re not going to get the games in, why schedule the University of Maine? I can’t get Boston College, UConn or URI to come here for mid-week games.”
The baseball field will also help with recruiting.
Trimper and his staff, which has reeled in top classes in past years, including an incoming class that ranks 70th in the nation by Perfect Game, will be aided by the turf surface. Boston College, ranked 69th is the only northeastern school ranked higher than UMaine.
“The one thing people say to you is why would you want to go to UMaine and the frozen tundra,” Trimper said. “The weather is not much different than Boston College and UConn. It’s just that we have a field that doesn’t drain as well. Now we won’t have that problem.”
“From a university standpoint, it opens up the doors to making the place a bit more attractive,” Trimper said. “It also gives club baseball an opportunity to play as well as other campus recreation programs. I would even like to get some high school tourney games and home games here for local teams.”
With the conference championship as the number one goal for the Black Bears, the new turf surface may raise the bar even higher as Trimper tries to restore the success UMaine had in the 1980s.
In addition to the Mahaney Diamond’s upgrade, the football and field hockey surfaces will be upgraded as well. Projects are expected finish by the fall of this year, in time to for the seasons this fall.
