The Vermont Mountaineers got to town on Sunday - well, some of them - and they play their first game of the season Wednesday at Keene. Jamie Biggam and I have been to practice yesterday and today and we each have a story in the Wednesday edition of the Times Argus.
Manager John Russo gave me a lot of good quotes, but I couldn't get them all in. Here's what didn't make the paper:
On those players still playing in the College World Series: "We have 12 guys in regionals and we have four of those 12 who made it to Super Regionals: Kyle Crockett from Virginia (left-handed pitcher from Poquoson, Va.) and Matt Whitehouse from (the University of California-) Irvine (left-handed pitcher from Diamond Bar, Calif.), and Anthony Marzi and Anthony Aceto (outfielder from North Providence, R.I.) and Anthony Marzi (left-handed pitcher from Berlin, Conn.) from Connecticut."
On his biggest challenges headed into this opening week, aside from missing half his team: "Getting everybody playing time and swinging the bat again. Some of these guys have taken two weeks off and have gotten away from working out and playing and throwing. (Monday) pitchers threw in the bull pens and they hadn’t thrown in two weeks, so we’re getting them back into a regular pattern that they had been in at school and building arm strength back up. There’s a couple of pitchers who are still pitching, Kyle Crockett and Matt Whitehouse, who I think will be upper-echelon pitchers in this league. I think we’re real lucky to have real junior-laden position players and good hitters who were the third or fourth hitters at their Division I squads. That’s going to give us a little bit of an advantage early with making the adjustment to hitting with wood."
On what it's like to be back in Vermont after leaving the post two years ago: "I had to appologize to the kids (Monday) because when I left here three years ago, I didn’t think I was ever coming back, so when I got back, it brought up a lot of memories. I was telling the kids stories about players, like AJ Pollack and Matt Rizzotti, and Kyle Brault and a home run he hit, and (Monday) afternoon I appologized for killing them with stories. But coming back here has been an unbelievable experience for me, and my wife and family will be up this weekend. The family is really excited about being back for the summer."
On whether or not his players are ready for the Vermont crowds, which will include Vermont Frost Heaves season ticket holders (the Mountaineers offered season tickets to Frost Heave season ticket holders who were left with many unusable tickets after the team folded in January): "I think they are. Opening night and the first couple games are some of the most exciting because of how hard the kids play and it’s like the first practice - the reason we don’t usually get off to the best start at home is because the kids are trying maybe too hard. Getting them to play comfortable and relax and not nervous anymore, which is why I think we play a little bit better in July than we do in June. We’ll try to get off to a better start this year."
Vermont will play its first game of the season at Recreation Field on Sunday, also against Keene, at 6:30 p.m.
-Anna Grearson
It's great to have the Mountaineers back in town! What a great orginization. Good luck to them this season and thanks to all the volunteers (host families etc;) who make this all possible.
Posted by: "One Coach" | 06/08/2011 at 08:27 AM