// Workers AI · dad joke modeDid 1976 Maine Black Bears baseball team paws for a moment?

1976 Maine Black Bears baseball
1976 Maine Black Bears baseball
ECAC New England baseball tournament champion; NCAA Northeast Regional champion
College World Series, 2–2
Conference	Yankee Conference
Record	29–9 (6–2 Yankee)
Head coach	John Winkin (2nd season);
	Seasons ← 1975 1977 →

1976 Yankee Conference baseball standings
v t e	Conf.				Overall
Team	W		L	PCT	W		L	PCT
No. 24 Connecticut ‍†‍‍	7	–	1	.875	24	–	7	.774
No. 4 Maine ‍‍‍^y	6	–	2	.750	29	–	9	.763
No. 23 UMass ‍‍‍	3	–	5	.375	24	–	13	.649
New Hampshire ‍‍‍	2	–	6	.250	6	–	23	.207
Rhode Island ‍‍‍	2	–	6	.250	9	–	13	.409

† – Conference champion y – Invited to the NCAA tournament As of June 30, 1976^[1] Rankings from Collegiate Baseball

The 1976 Maine Black Bears baseball team represented the University of Maine in the 1976 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Black Bears were led by John Winkin in his 2nd year as head coach, and played as part of the Yankee Conference.

Maine posted a 29–9 record, finished second in the Yankee Conference with a 6–2 regular season, and won the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference New England Tournament to claim the automatic bid to the 1976 NCAA Division I baseball tournament. They swept the Northeast Regional to advance to the 1976 College World Series, their second appearance in Omaha. The Black Bears won games against Auburn and Washington State and lost to eventual runner-up Eastern Michigan and third place Arizona State.^[2]

Personnel

1976 Maine Black Bears baseball roster^[3]

1976 Maine Black Bears baseball coaching staff^[3]
5 - John Winkin - Head coach - 2nd season 22 - Carl Merrill - Assistant coach - 2nd season

1976 Maine Black Bears baseball game log^[4]^[3]

Regular season

March/April
Date	Opponent	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	YC record
Mar 28	vs Michigan State*	Mark Light Field • Coral Gables, FL^[5]	W 7–1	1–0
Mar 30	vs Michigan State*	Mark Light Field • Coral Gables, FL^[5]	W 14–9	2–0
Mar 31	vs Michigan State*	Mark Light Field • Coral Gables, FL^[5]	L 9–19	2–1
Apr 1^[6]	at Miami (FL)*	Mark Light Field • Coral Gables, FL	L 1–3	2–2
Apr 2^[6]	at Miami (FL)*	Mark Light Field • Coral Gables, FL	L 2–8	2–3
Apr 3^[6]	at Miami (FL)*	Mark Light Field • Coral Gables, FL	L 5–7	2–4
	at Biscayne*	Miami Gardens, FL	W 10–5	3–4
	at Providence*	Hendricken Field • Providence, RI	W 5–3	4–4
	at Providence*	Hendricken Field • Providence, RI	W 8–3	5–4
Apr 10^[7]	at Connecticut	J. O. Christian Field • Storrs, CT	L 0–2	5–5	0–1
Apr 13^[7]	at Connecticut	J. O. Christian Field • Storrs, CT	W 1–0	6–5	1–1
	Rhode Island	Orono, ME	W 8–4	7–5	2–1
	Rhode Island	Orono, ME	W 1–0	8–5	3–1
	at Fairfield*	Alumni Baseball Diamond • Fairfield, CT	W 8–6	9–5
	at Bowdoin*	Pickard Field • Brunswick, ME	W 14–3	10–5
Apr 24^[8]	UMass	Orono, ME	W 6–1	11–5	4–1
Apr 24^[8]	UMass	Orono, ME	W 4–3	12–5	5–1
	at Colby*	Coombs Field • Waterville, ME	W 11–2	13–5
	at Northeastern*	Parsons Field • Brookline, MA	W 4–2	14–5
	at New Hampshire	Durham, NH	W 7–1	15–5	6–1
	at New Hampshire	Durham, NH	5–6	15–6	6–2
	at Husson*	Bangor, ME	W 10–0	16–6
	Holy Cross*	Orono, ME	W 10–3	17–6
	Holy Cross*	Orono, ME	L 1–3	17–7
	Husson*	Orono, ME	W 27–5	18–7
	Bates*	Orono, ME	W 4–3	19–7
	Colby*	Orono, ME	W 4–0	20–7

Postseason

ECAC New England baseball tournament
Date	Opponent	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	ECACT record
May 22^[7]	Connecticut	Palmer Field • Middletown, CT	W 2–1	21–7	1–0
May 22^[8]	UMass	Palmer Field • Middletown, CT	W 4–3	22–7	2–0
May 22^[8]	UMass	Palmer Field • Middletown, CT	W 4–1	23–7	3–0

College World Series
Date	Opponent	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	CWS record
June 11	Eastern Michigan	Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium • Omaha, NE	L 2–3	27–8	0–1
June 12	Auburn	Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium • Omaha, NE	W 9–8	28–8	1–1
June 14	Washington State	Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium • Omaha, NE	W 6–3	29–8	2–1
June 16	Arizona State	Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium • Omaha, NE	L 0–7	29–9	2–2

↑ 2017 Baseball Record Book (PDF). University of Maine Alumni. p. 76. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
↑ 2021 Baseball Online Media Guide (PDF). Maine Black Bears. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
1 2 3 "1976 06 11-18 DI Men's Baseball College World Series University of Maine". NCAA. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
↑ 2017 Baseball Record Book (PDF). University of Maine Alumni. pp. 36–37. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
1 2 3 2025 Baseball Record Book (PDF). Michigan State Spartans. p. 63. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
1 2 3 "1975–76 Schedule". Miami Hurricanes. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
1 2 3 2026 Baseball Media Guide (PDF). UConn Huskies. p. 47. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
1 2 3 4 Baseball Record Book 2025 (PDF). UMass Minutemen. p. 20. Retrieved May 9, 2026.

v t e Maine Black Bears baseball
Venues	Alumni Field (1910s-1920s) Mahaney Diamond (1980s–present)
People	Head coaches
Seasons	1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
College World Series appearances in italics