The University of Maine baseball team, a year after they won the America East Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Regionals in Coral Gables, Florida in 2023, missed out on the league tournament last spring. The Black Bears are hoping to get back there this season, as the conference tournament will be held at their own ballpark at Mahaney Diamond in Orono May 20-24. Six of the seven conference teams make the postseason.
Maine was plagued by injury in 2024 in finishing 12-37 overall and 8-15 in America East play. They had been just one year removed from a 32-21 campaign in 2023 (19-5 in conference), defeating UMass-Lowell, Bryant, and Binghamton University to win the postseason league title on the Bearcats home field in Vestal, New York. Maine went on to get knocked out in two games in the NCAA Tournament by the regional host in the #9 University of Miami and the University of Louisiana.
Maine was picked in a tie for third place with the New Jersey Institute of Technology in the preseason America East Poll for 2025. Bryant (defending champion) was picked first and Binghamton second. The Black Bears must pitch better this season as it hurt them alot last spring with a team earned run average of 8.88 (6.49 in conference games), while also walking almost eight batters per game. Former Old Town High School standout Gabe Gifford showed some promise in his freshman year out of the bullpen striking out 48 in 34.0 innings, but also walking 52 and finishing with a 10.06 ERA. Caleb Leys and Colin Fitzgerald will be back and healthy after missing the entire 2024 season with injury. Leys was 5-1 with a 4.94 ERA and Fitzgerald was 6-2 with a 5.23 ERA in 2023. Gianni Gambardella (6-3, 3.90 ERA in 2023) was limited last year as well with injury and only appeared in 10 games (2-4, 5.68 ERA).
Maine has 22 newcomers for 2025 to go along with their 17 returning players. Those returning players along with a good portion of the pitching staff include outfielder Zach Martin (.286 batting average, three homers, 21 RBI), infielder Myles Sargent (.324, one homer, 14 RBI), and catcher/infielder Dean O’Neill (.272, seven homers, 22 RBI). A couple names new to the roster that state of Maine baseball fans should recognize include Southern Maine Community College transfer in sophomore right handed pitcher Jason Libby (Bangor Christian), and reigning Mr. Maine Baseball in freshman infielder Caleb Vacchiano (Sacopee Valley). Libby set the Maine high school record for strikeouts in one game with 22 in 2023, while Vacchiano hit .465 with five homeruns, eight doubles, and drove in 19 runs to lead the Saccopee Valley Hawks to the Class C State Title in 2024. He also only made one error in the field in 20 games.
Maine begins the season on February 14th as they open a four game series at Louisiana Tech. The Black Bears play 19 non-conference contests before their America East opener on March 21 at Binghamton (three game series). Maine plays their home openers at Mahaney Diamond (non-conference) vs Thomas College and Husson University on March 25 and 26, before their conference home opening series on March 28-30 vs NJIT.
