Call it a transition year.

Call it a rebuilding year.

However you slice it, it's been a rough one in Orono.

Every single University of Maine team that counts its record in wins and losses has finished below .500.

That's football, field hockey, volleyball, soccer, hockey, basketball, softball and baseball.

The baseball team lost 3 of 4 to Vermont last weekend, a series that locked it out of the America East playoffs.

The team is 19-26-1 overall, 7-13 in the conference, with four games remaining at Binghamton.

"We all want to represent the state, the university," said Coach Steve Trimper. "Nobody wants to come in here to be .500. For us at least -- I can't speak for other teams -- it's been a year of transition. When I took the job it was about trying to get the right kids here. I really feel like this bunch is a good group."

Athletic Director Blake James said he looks at the 2007-08 season beyond the final results.

"We're obviously disappointed," said James. "But we don't measure the year based solely on wins and losses. We look at the entire picture of who we are as a program and what we're trying to accomplish."

The baseball team, said Trimper, was hampered by an inability to produce at the plate with runners in scoring position. The Black Bears were 2-8 in one-run games.

"We just didn't do offensively what we were hoping we could do this year," said Trimper. "Our defense has been good. I'm ecstatic about our young pitching. But we just didn't get timely hitting once again. It's been our Achilles' heel."

The silver lining, said Trimper, is his young pitching staff.

The group is highlighted by sophomore transfer Joe Miller, who finished 5-2 with a 3.93 ERA in 601/3 innings. Freshmen Kevin Scanlan and Matt Jebb went 2-5 each, with ERAs of 3.84 and 4.03 in 60-plus innings.

"I think we did a good job of getting young pitching in here and we have four more quality arms coming in next year to add," said Trimper. "I hate to make predictions but I think we're going to have a very good pitching staff. We'll have some depth there."

The softball team wrapped up its season a game under .500 in America East on May 4. It finished 10-11 and 11-39 overall.

Before the spring, the rest of Maine's teams finished:

• Football: 4-7, 3-5 in the Colonial Athletic Association.
• Men's hockey: 7-10-2, 3-7-2 in Hockey East.
• Women's hockey: 1-18-2, 0-6-2 in Hockey East.
• Women's basketball: 4-12, 1-2 in America East.
• Men's basketball: 5-11, 1-2 America East.
• Field hockey: 5-11, 1-4 in America East.
• Men's soccer: 3-13-1, 1-6-1 in America East.
• Women's soccer: 6-8-3 overall, 4-3-1 in America East.
• Volleyball: 4-23, 2-9 in America East.

Despite those records, not all is lost this spring.

The men's and women's track teams are still standing. They will send nine athletes to this weekend's ECAC and IC4A championships in Princeton, N.J. Several more will compete in the NCAA regional the following weekend in Tallahassee, Fla.

"It's the most we've had go in, oh, a long time," said Coach Mark Lech.

Portland's Skip Edwards (400-meter dash), Casco's Miles Bartlett (steeplechase) and Gardiner's Matt Holmon (400-meter hurdles) will run for the men. Lewiston's Dan Poirier will compete in javelin.

Sprinters Allyson Howatt (100, 200), Vicki Tolton (400), Lindsay Burlock (400), Fairfield's Vanessa Letourneau (4x400) and Rebecca Even (4x400) will compete for the women.

Does the group feel any extra pride knowing they are the last UMaine team competing?

"These kids feel good about what they're doing. We're never going to get huge recognition for it. But it doesn't deter these kids," said Lech. "Hopefully it's more of an...