Even though the calendar says spring has arrived, there wascertainly a nippy, winter-like feeling in the air Monday.
However, inside Bangor High School, there were signs of theseason amidst Red Barry Gymnasium, with softballs popping into mittsand athletes running laps around the perimeter of the basketballcourt.
Even though preseason practices for spring sports teams don'tofficially start for another week, the state's softball and baseballteams were allowed to bring in five pitchers and five catchers forworkouts starting Monday.
The bulk of the preseason workouts for softball, baseball, trackand field and tennis commence on March 30.
After riding a young nucleus to the Eastern Maine Class Achampionship game a year ago, Bangor is certainly expecting to getback to that plateau this spring, and perhaps go even further.
Junior pitcher Sam Bedore, who had an outstanding sophomorecampaign for the Rams, ultimately has lofty goals for herself andher teammates.
'I'm hoping to do a lot better this year and carry my team alittler further than we got last year, hopefully get that statechampionship,' said Bedore.
Bedore is one of the top pitchers statewide, and she's hoping off-season work contributes to potential success.
'I actually played all year down at Frozen Ropes in Portland sothat helps a lot,' said Bedore, who noted that her arm strength isup to par.
'I'm feeling good,' she said. 'I think I'll do better than lastyear. I've been working more on my riseball and a screw but otherthan that just trying to get better at my other pitches.'
For now, Bedore and her teammates will be focusing onconditioning and working their way into softball shape.
Coach Don Stanhope's Rams graduated only four seniors from lastyear's squad, and should be a legitimate contender for the EasternMaine crown.
Bangor fell to Brewer in last year's regional final en route tothat school's first state softball championship.
Witches to practice at Bangor
The good news for the Brewer High outdoor track program is thatin a couple of years, the Witches will have a new home facility.
The bad news is that Brewer will be without a home for a coupleyears while the new track facility and elementary school areconstructed.
However, the Witches have a practice facility to call home thisspring, as they'll hold workouts at Bangor's Cameron Stadium.
Brewer will generally practice there daily from 4:30 p.m. to 6,after Bangor's practices conclude while the Witches will share thefacility with John Bapst.
Since all three programs have solid relationships with oneanother, the decision was a fairly easy one.
'What it came down to was we have a good relationship with Bangorand [Bangor athletic director Steve] Vanidestine,' said Brewer coachJamerson Crowley, whose team held its preseason informationalmeeting Monday with practices set to begin next week.
Crowley added that Bangor's staff and John Bapst coach BrucePratt were generous in letting the Witches use the facility.
The coach also noted that certain groups won't be on the trackevery day. For example, the distance runners may only do a couplespeed workouts a week while jumping pits and throwing facilities andcages could be shared.
'It'll be kind of similar to what we do in indoor,' Crowley said,referring to winter practices at the University of Maine field housewhere a throng of teams generally practice simultaneously.
Brewer won't be on the track when preseason camp opens, but withits first meet set for April 17th in Belfast, the Witches wouldprefer to get on the track as quickly as possible.
'The second week we plan to be on if everything works out,' saidCrowley.
PVC schedule released
The first Penobscot Valley Conference high school track meet isexactly one month from today.
The conference released its 2009 schedule recently, which kicksoff April 24 with a multi-team meet at Hampden followed by meets atMount Desert Island in Bar Harbor and Orono a day later.
Girls contenders Bangor and Brewer will face off twice during theregular season while the Hampden boys have one meet apiece withBangor and Brewer.
The MDI Relays will be held two weeks before the leaguechampionship meets on May 16.
Bangor and Foxcroft Academy will host the respective large andsmall school championship meets this year, with the Class A-B meetat Cameron Stadium May 29 and the Class C meet a day later in Dover-Foxcroft.
rmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net
990-8193
