Rutland Herald Spring Sports Guide 2019
Baseball Preview continued from page 10
Mill River
Mill River has found harder times the
last couple of seasons, but LaFerriere is
out to get the Minutemen around the
corner.
Aside from the team’s one senior,
LaFerriere coached almost everyone
on this year’s team in middle school so
Mill River is in position to build for the
future.
“I see a lot of good heads out there
and kids who want to bring their game
a step further,” he said.
Two solid pitchers and strong
defense up the middle are big parts of
the foundation.
Aidan Botti and Dan Graves are
pitchers with good control who can
pound the strike zone. While one
pitches, the other will man center fi eld,
with Ryan Flanders at shortstop and
Elija Williams at second.
Spencer Ahearn will play third base
and the new catcher is Matt Haskins,
who has a strong arm and the benefi t
of having Skylar LaFerriere, a former
Rutland High star catcher and Brand-
son LaFerriere’s young brother, as an
assistant coach.
Flanders, Botti, Ahearn and Graves
will lead the offense, which will rely
on aggressive baserunning and some
small-ball tactics.
”We want to keep the defense on its
toes,” the coach said. “We’ll do what-
ever we have to do to score runs.”
Former third baseman Devin
Poczobut will be in left, Julian Downey
in right and Brendan Tuohy and Jonah
Boyea will platoon at fi rst base.
The Minutemen play in Rutland
County’s tough D-II, along with the
strong veteran presence of Fair Haven
and Otter Valley. They will begin the
season with a stern test, hosting the
Otters on Friday.
MSJ
Fielding was a sore spot for Mount St.
Joseph last year and it will have to turn
around if the Mounties are to get past
the fi rst round of the D-IV tournament.
“We gave teams too many
ROBERT LAYMAN / STAFF PHOTO
ROBERT LAYMAN / STAFF PHOTO
The Mill River Union High School team warms up for practice Thursday afternoon on
the fi eld in Clarendon.
opportunities and outs. If we can limit
that to (21) chances we’ll be okay,” said
second-year coach Garrett Brewer.
Although MSJ is still young, Brewer
is optimistic. He has veterans sprinkled
throughout the defense and looks to
have a solid pitching staff with Keaton
Wright-Chapman and Ben Pencak
returning and transfer Chad Peck, a
lefty from Fair Haven, good to go.
Shortstop Cole Blanchard will also
pitch, taking the closer’s role.
”I think we have some good upper-
classmen who know how I’m running
things,” Brewer said. “I have a good
feeling that they have the potential to
do some good things.”
Sophomore Chance Passmore
steps behind the plate and brings an
outfi elder’s arm to the defense.
TJ Euber, a transfer from Otter
Valley, will play third base.
“I like the way he’s swinging the bat;
he’ll be a bright spot for us,” Brewer said.
Blanchard returns to shortstop, Wil-
liam Lee, a utility man last year, takes
over at second base and Wright-Chap-
man will be at fi rst.
Freshman Chase Weigers gets his
chance in the short right fi eld and
Lucas Pencak and Ben Pencak, who
can both run down balls in the spacious
confi nes of St. Peter’s Field, will be in
center and left fi eld, respectively. Lucas
Pencak’s range will be a great benefi t
to Weigers but Brewer is confi dent
Weigers can get the job done.
MSJ opens April 12 at Poultney.
Otter Valley
The Otters are back in force with
10 returning players and they are not
entirely happy, but that could change.
“I think we have a group of seniors
that last year it didn’t end the way we
were hoping for,” said coach Mike
Howe. “We ended up losing to the team
that won the state championship. The
kids have a chip on their shoulder.”
What they also have is lefty Josh
Beayon, who is smooth and sure at fi rst
base. He will also be in the conversation
for the league’s best pitcher.
”We have some pieces. We need to
stay healthy and have things fall into
place and I’d like to make a run at (the
D-II title),” Howe said. “l think we have
the talent and the determination.”
OV is also a close-knit group that
fundraised hard to fi nance a playing/
practicing trip to Florida for spring
vacation.
Howe laughed.
”I have people coming up to me and
asking if we need someone to do the
(score) book,” he said.
Matt Bloomer, head coach of the Rutland
High School varsity baseball team leads
practice on the turf at Giogretti Arena in
Rutland Friday afternoon.
Beayon and his fastball/curveball
combo heads the pitching staff, with
shortstop Patrick McKeighan penciled
in at No. 2. Kollin Bisette will pitch and
man second and short, as will junior
Logan Trombley. Marcus McCullough
will pitch and play the corner positions.
Leadoff hitter Reilly Shannon takes
over center fi eld and Nate Hudson
returns to third. Another veteran, Jack
Adams, will be in left.
A key starting newcomer is soph-
omore Alex Polli, who the Otters
groomed last year to take over at
catcher.
“He’s a kid that works really hard,”
said Howe. ”I think that he’s ready for
the job and he knows there’s lot of
expectation ... but he’s a good athlete
and a smart kid which is half the
battle.”
OV again has the speed to create
offense and move runners into scoring
position.
The Otters have a road game at Mill
River on Friday and head to Fair Haven
on Monday, April 8.
“The (rivalry) has really developed
over the last couple of years,” said
Howe. “We love playing against them
because we know we’ll get their best.”
Baseball continued on page 12