BY BILL STEWART

AND GARY HAWKINS

Staff Writers

Track and field teams this spring will bring the 4x200-meter relay outside.

The 4x200, a popular event during the indoor season, will be run on an experimental basis. The home team will decide whether to field a 4x200 event at all regular season meets. The event will not be part of any championship meet.

"The host school will decide if they want to run the 4x2," said Erskine Academy athletic director Doran Stout, who is a chairperson on the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Track Committee. "The recommendation from the committee is that it won't be scored, that it will be run as exhibition. We won't run it in the KVAC championships."

The Mountain Valley Conference will not run the 4x200 relay, according to coaches Bob Hagopian of Madison and Dan Foss of Carrabec.

Stout said the Maine Principals' Association will make a recommendation after the season on whether to keep the 4x200 relay.

"There are some factors we need to look at," Stout said. "First, the meets are plenty long as it is right now, especially this time of year. Secondly, it will put a strain on some schools that don't have as many kids out for tack. We already have 4x100 relay, we have a middle distance relay (4x400) and we have a distance relay (4x800).

"In my opinion, we have all three relay distances covered in those three events."

The proposal received mixed reviews from area coaches.

"It gives the sprinters another race," said Lawrence coach Tim Alberts, who hosts three meets this season. "It just adds another race. We're going to run it."

Added Winslow coach Shawn Carey, who, like Alberts, features deep teams: "I've got enough sprinters to run a 4x2. I'm for it. We only have two meets at home, but we'll include it to see if anyone bites. We're just trying to get a feel if there is enough interest out there."

Maine Central Institute coach Jason Allen said he opposes adding the 4x200 relay.

"I would think that it would be something that would favor the bigger teams that have greater depth," he said. "We have 70 kids, which I wouldn't call small numbers, but we would have a hard time putting quality relay teams together. I think it's just another way to give points to the bigger schools.

"I'm willing to give it a shot, but if it's not broke, why fix it?"

• • •

Cony and Oak Hill high schools are less than 30 miles apart, but their baseball teams went to unusual lengths and distances to play each other in exhibition games last weekend.

The teams both headed to Connecticut for games at Windsor Locks High School, which has both indoor and outdoor facilities. Because a couple of Connecticut teams backed out, Oak Hill ended up playing Cony twice and Wells, another Maine team, once.

"I thought we looked better (last) weekend than expected," Oak Hill coach Chad Drouin said. "I was very impressed with the way we swung the bats."

Drouin used 11 pitchers in the three games and said all but one was effective. Both Drouin and Cony coach Ray Vallee said team building and bonding was the most important part of the weekend.

"The kids just have a blast," Vallee said. "We go to dinner, we go to the mall."

Between indoor and outdoor games, the Rams managed to squeeze in 23 innings, playing Oak Hill as well as two Connecticut teams. They also rented the indoor facility, which includes a full-size infield and a left-field that extends 340 feet, for a practice.

"We were able to put a lot of stuff in," Vallee said.

• • •

The Monmouth Academy baseball team had a surprise visitor at practice this week. Former pitcher and shortstop Tip Fairchild showed up for two practices. Fairchild was recently cut by the Houston Astros after spending four years in that organization.

He helped Monmouth to a state championship in 2001 and went on to stellar career at the University of Southern Maine before being drafted in the fifth round by the Astros. He threw a bullpen session Wednesday while Monmouth coach Eric Palleschi caught.

"It's a lot of fun to get down and catch somebody like that," said Palleschi, who caught at Monmouth and St. Joseph's College. "You wake up in a hurry. He handcuffed me on a couple of pitches."

Fairchild was staying sharp in case he got called to pitch and this week he did, signing a contract with the Somerset Patriots of the independent Atlantic League.

"He's got something to prove and he's got the stuff to prove it," Palleschi said.

• • •

There are a few new track and field coaches in Central Maine this spring. Erika Reay, Chris Bennett and Scott Rollins replace Ben Willoughby. Reay coached the Eagles indoor team.

At Hall-Dale, Joe Viselli takes over Ralph Peterson. Viselli graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in 1999, where he competed on the cross country and track teams. He teaches physical education at the Hall-Dale Elementary School.

"I was approached and I figured it might be a good time to get back into it," he said.