Last June, the Milton Varsity baseball team lost in the state semifinal to a Mt. Abraham team that was loaded with talented seniors. It took a gem from Mt. Abe’s Greg Lutton to stop the ‘Jackets in a 2-0 pitchers duel. Milton said goodbye to seniors Dwayne Ballard, Justin Bergeron, Joe Emery, Bryan Geary, and Mike Thompson, but looked forward to a 2009 season that would feature a very experienced group of players.
The ‘Jackets had an 8-8 record in the regular season last year, but two wins in the postseason helped them finish at 10-9 overall. Coach John Geary, in his second year as the head coach, hopes experience and pitching depth will help Milton take the next step and make some noise in this year’s Division II playoffs.
Milton’s roster is made up of nine seniors, five juniors and one sophomore. Seniors are Mike Burnham, Colton Carpenter, Alex Duchesneau, Corey Hurley (Captain), Alex Learned, Shane Mason, Kyle McRae (Captain), Mike Mullins and Jeremy Peet (Captain). Burnham and Learned return to baseball after taking their junior year off; both will see time in the outfield. Carpenter returns for his third varsity season and will be the team’s third basemen and may also see some innings out of the bullpen. Duchesneau also returns for his third varsity season, and will be at the top of the pitching rotation, bringing valuable experience from both high school and legion baseball. Hurley, another third year player, will anchor shortstop for the ‘Jackets and will also be a starting pitcher. Mason, back for his second year, could see time at both 2nd and 3rd base this season. McRae, in his 3rd varsity season, will be the leader of a talented Milton outfield. Mullins, who is in his second varsity season, will be an important bat for ‘Jackets. He’ll see time at 1st base and DH. Peet (3rd year) returns as one of the top catchers in the state after a junior year in which he was named first team All-Metro.
Juniors are Anthony Campbell, Nick Ferguson, Pat Gilbert, Matt Goulet and Aaron Thibault. Campbell, who is a second year varsity player, will anchor 2nd base and may see time at shortstop when Hurley is on the mound. Ferguson, a newcomer, can play three infield positions and will provide great versatility for Milton. Gilbert, also a newcomer, will see time at first base and will add a big bat to the ‘Jackets roster. Goulet (3rd year) should be one of the top pitchers in the state this year; he was also first team All-Metro last year along with Peet. Thibault, another newcomer, will be valuable off the Milton bench as he can play all three outfield spots. The lone sophomore is Dylan Leggett; he will have a spot in the ‘Jackets outfield and see significant time on the mound.
Pitching will be Milton’s biggest strength this season, as they have a rare combination of experience, depth and talent. Goulet (RHP), Duchesneau (RHP), Hurley (RHP) and Leggett (LHP), who will see the bulk of the starts, have worked hard in the offseason after playing very competitive summer baseball with the Colchester Cannons. Carpenter (RHP) and McRae (LHP) provide hard-throwing relief options for the ‘Jackets. Goulet led last year’s staff with a 7-0 record, 40 K’s and 8 BB in 49 IP. He also tossed three complete games. Regardless of who is on the mound, Milton will consistently run out one of the top batteries in the state as catcher Jeremy Peet is a wall behind home plate and has plenty of experience calling games. Peet will also help neutralize the opponent’s running game with his great throwing arm.
Milton’s offensive attack took a bit of a hit with the loss of the seniors, but the emergence of Goulet and Leggett in the lineup may help ease the effects. Some of the top returning bats for the ‘Jackets are: Mike Mullins (.455 BA, 1 HR, 8 RBI), Jeremy Peet (.379 BA, 11 RBI), Kyle McRae (.333 BA, 3 doubles, 5 RBI, 5 SB) and Corey Hurley (.293 BA, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 7 SB). Milton will try to rely on small ball more than the long ball this season. Look for them to be aggressive on the base paths and utilize the bunt on both the sacrifice and squeeze plays.
Coach Geary had a lot of positive things to say; he was pleased with the progress his team has made thus far through mostly indoor practices (although they have been able to get outside recently). The absence of the trip to Florida, which the team had taken the past four years, will be missed, but the ‘Jackets hope to make up the game experience with scrimmages against Division II runner-up Lyndon and the Milton Men’s baseball team. Geary summed up his season preview with this statement: “With the experience we have, this team should be in the mix for a strong postseason run.” The ‘Jackets certainly have all the elements in place, and they also have a sour taste in their mouths after being denied a spot in the state championship game a year ago.
So make sure to come out and support the Yellowjackets when you can this season. Their first scrimmage is this Thursday, April 9th, home against Lyndon at 4:30. You can also follow Milton Baseball online at www.leaguelineup.com/miltonbaseball, where you’ll find schedules, game results, stats and updates.
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