The formula has worked for 24 baseball seasons, and counting.

Ed Flaherty recruits versatile players from successful high school teams, a majority of them in Maine, and guides one of the most successful NCAA Division III programs in the nation.

Ranked No. 1 for multiple weeks this spring, the University of Southern Maine experienced a rare hiccup on their home diamond Friday and Saturday. The Huskies fell first to Eastern Connecticut State, 14-6, then to defending champion Keene State, 7-2, to fall out of the Little East Conference tournament before the final round.

Southern Maine (35-7) will be required to wait for what appears the formality of an at-large invitation to the national tournament. It doesn’t diminish one of the finest regular seasons in school history or take away from what has been a sensational spring for several local players. Mike Eaton of Sabattus (Oak Hill) headlines that honor roll for the Huskies. Eaton, a sophomore, has proven himself doubly dangerous as both a left-handed relief pitcher and a powerful bat in the center of Southern Maine’s lineup.

Eaton provided the beacon of light Saturday with his sixth home run of the season in the loss to Keene. It continued a late-season tear in which Eaton clubbed a two-run homer against Plymouth State, a grand slam versus Babson, notched five RBIs at the expense of Rhode Island College and drove in three more against the University of Massachusetts-Boston.

He ranked among the Huskies’ leaders in almost every offensive category, including batting average (.352, sixth), homers (tied for fourth), RBIs (46, fourth), stolen bases (19, third), runs scored (54, third) and hits (60, fourth). Eaton also handled all 61 of his chances in the field without an error.

Tough to imagine in light of those digits, but Eaton arguably was even better on the hill. In 14 appearances, Eaton was 4-0 with four saves and a 1.46 ERA. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was a staggering 31-2 in 24 2/3 innings of work.

Andrew Stacy of Denmark (Fryeburg Academy) also wore multiple hats as a pitcher and reserve outfielder during his senior campaign. Stacy batted .341 with 15 RBIs. He was undefeated in three mound verdicts with a 3.54 ERA. Opponents batted only .233 against Stacy.

Southern Maine also picked up a pitching victory each from Josh Jillson of Wales (Oak Hill) and Ryan Yates of Norway (Oxford Hills) during the season.

Break point

A record-setting season for Adam Wilding of Lewiston and his Merrimack College men’s tennis team concluded Saturday with a loss to Concordia in the NCAA Division III East Regional finals at Flushing, N.Y.

Merrimack defeated Adelphi, 5-4, on Friday for its school record 14th victory of the season. The Warriors became only the second team from their school to win an NCAA tournament contest this school year.

Wilding excelled at first singles and second and third doubles for Merrimack as a senior.

Pomp and circumstance

Five local men and women were among 80 athletes to graduate Saturday from the University of Maine.

Football standout Jonathan Pirruccello of Turner (Leavitt Area High School) and field hockey captain Nicole Emery of Winthrop led the group.

“The constant juggle between athletics and academics was not easy, but it definitely forced me to develop a strong work ethic on and off the field,” Pirruccello said in a university news release. “I know that the work ethic I developed here will help me succeed in the upcoming years of my life.”

Also honored at Saturday’s commencement were Nerissa Gross of Lisbon and Stephanie Jette of Lovell (women’s track and field) and Raechel Wark of Litchfield (cheering).