June 21, 2001

Congratulations to the follow guys for placing in the Top Ten in certain categories in the Metro Division this season (Thanks to Coach Tim Root of Essex for compiling these -- check out the Metro Baseball Page for the complete list):

June 19, 2001

Well, I'm finally getting around to writing the season wrap-up. Here are the numerous postseason achievements, some new and some previously announced: This was a rebuilding season for last season's Division I runner-up, a season of numerous ups and downs and of collective and individual achievements. We also were fortunate enough to be able to honor Coach Saddlemire and the two decades worth of work he put into the baseball program. A tough 0-4 start saw the pitching staff hold a 10.08 ERA and send mound ward two players who never pitched again (Andrew Folley & Jamie Moore), but allowed us to discover the capable arms of Jess Mattison and Chris Corrigan, two pitchers who consistently pitched strikes this season and became vital cogs in the pitching staff. Following our early-season skid, the Lakers won six of seven, losing only on a cold day at Harwood after early morning SATs (and exams for some of us). During that seven game stretch, Colchester's offense outscored their opponents 77-33 while the pitching staff put together a 3.73 ERA. The next four games each had their own little quirks: we expected to see Tyler Pelland start on the mound when we hosted Mount Abe, but didn't see him until the fifth inning when he came on in relief for the last three innings, allowing only Jess Mattison's single while K'ing four; verdict: loss #6 and back to .500. Hey, we only lost 9-4 to the eventual Division II state champs. Next, we traveled to the far-north reaches of the country on a 50-degree day to face North Country, where Jess Mattison pitched a complete game after finding out he was pitching just as it was time to start warming up. Jason Carey also hit his second career grand slam - only the third in school history - as the Lakers pulled away for a 15-5 victory in six innings. In our annual excursion to Centennial Field, Colchester trailed only 4-3 through six innings on Travis Clairmont's nine strikeout effort before Rice exploded for 10 runs in the seventh. Ouch. Next came Milton, the eventual Metro North champs and D-II runners-up, where the Lakers led 3-0 after four batters but allowed the game-tying run in the bottom of the seventh and the game-winner in the eighth in a 4-3 loss. We got back to .500 with a win over Spaulding on May 22 and drew the #13 seed in the Division I playoffs. After taking an 11-3 lead in the Play-in versus Middlebury and holding on for an 11-10 victory, we completed our season in a 12-2 Playdown loss in five innings at the hands of Rice, the second straight season which ended on a base hit to left field. A 9-9 season is still .500 any way you try to spin it, but consider that these guys had been outside for less than a week before their first game and we hadn't even faced anyone all spring before their opener against CVU. Furthermore, if not for four unearned first inning MMU runs and a big seventh inning South Burlington rally, the Lakers may have started 2-2 instead of 0-4. As far as the historical significance of this 9-9 season goes, it marked the second time that the Lakers won at least eight regular season games in four consecutive seasons, the first time occurring from 1981-84. Let's look at some of the high, low, and unexpected moments of the 2001 season: Well, this past season has been an interesting one and certainly was full of records and exciting games. I'm already looking forward to next season when it's quite possible that nearly 20 upperclassmen will try out for the squad. Good luck to the two seniors who recently graduated (and are now freshmen!). You'll both be missed, but next season will be a great opportunity for other guys to step it up and show themselves on the varsity level. Everyone have a fun and safe summer and I look forward to doing this all over again in the spring. See you all in March!

May 30, 2001

Colchester's season came to an abrupt halt on Wednesday in a Playdown loss at Rice, 12-2, in five innings. Ours was the only Division I playoff game in the area to be completed: due to the inclimate weather, games in Jericho and Essex were postponed a day and games at CVU (Hinesburg) and South Burlington High were suspended midway through. Keep in mind that Rice is also in South Burlington and the rain steadily fell during warm-ups for nearly two hours. Be that as it may, the game went on as scheduled and started off well enough for the Lakers, as Jason Carey began the first inning by reaching on a walk and Andrew Folley followed with a single into left. However, two outs quickly occurred before Carey scored on a wild pitch and Jess Mattison drove Travis Clairmont home on a double. Unfortunately, Rice pitcher Matt Mitchell allowed only a Carey single over the next four innings and his offense picked him up, scoring a run in the first inning, four in the third, three in the fourth, and three in the fifth en route to a 10-run-rule-shortened five inning game. Clairmont pitched four innings for the Lakers and got hit hard, allowing eight hits and nine runs, eight earned. He struck out six but walked four and hit a batter in the cold, damp conditions. The Lakers finish the season with a respectable 9-9 record despite starting 0-4 against four tough teams. With only Carey and Folley graduating, as many as twelve varsity players could be returning, so next year could be even better. Before I forget, Carey's third inning single was the 53rd of his career, breaking his tie with Mike Bouffard, and the hit was his 34th of the year, tying John Bond's 1982 record. I'll have more of a season wrap up hopefully soon.

May 27, 2001

In only their second Play-in game ever, the Lakers coasted to an 11-3 lead off of Middlebury ace A.J. LaRose before withstanding a dramatic Tiger rally in an 11-10 victory on Saturday at Milton High School. Middlebury, seeded 20th, got two quick outs in the first inning before scoring a run on three hits, but Colchester starter Jess Mattison settled down and allowed only three hits over the next four innings. The Lakers also threatened early: for the second consecutive Saturday at Milton High School, Jason Carey was hit by a pitch to lead off the game, the only two HBPs of his career, before Andrew Folley singled to center. With one out, Travis Clairmont popped up to the first baseman who, seeing Carey tag up and take off for third, skipped a throw past third baseman, allowing Carey to score Colchester's first run. The next inning, the Carey broke the one-all tie: after swinging and missing at the 2-1 offering and fouling off a 2-2 pitch, Jason smacked a two-run homer to the opposite field, scoring Nick Morley, who had drawn a one-out full count walk. Middlebury tied the game in the fourth on a walk, an error, and a triple before the Lakers responded with a seven-run fourth, keyed by Chris Corrigan's three-run blast over the left field fence. Carey, Corrigan, Dustin Fregeau, and Travis Clairmont all drove in runs during the inning. Fregeau hit his second sacrifice fly in the fifth to give the Lakers a seemingly insurmountable 11-3 lead, but Middlebury scratched away with a two-out three-run homer in the sixth, cutting Colchester's lead to 11-6. Thanks to two bases on balls, an error, five wild pitches, and two clutch singles, Middlebury clawed back to 11-10 in the seventh inning before the last batter was unable to check his swing on a full count pitch in the dirt. Mattison picked up the victory while Travis Clairmont got the final two outs of the seventh inning for the save. This was only Travis' second career appearance without picking up a decision (8-5 in 15 games). Here are some of the offensive highlights: when Carey got hit by a pitch, it was the 15th time this year a Laker was hit, a new single-season record; the bottom of the order contributed again today, with the bottom three combining for five runs and four bases on balls. Tyler Critchlow reached base twice -- once on a walk and once on a strikeout-wild pitch that ignited the seven-run fourth -- scored once, and was retired on a well-hit fly ball to left field. Sophomore Nick Morley walked twice and scored twice. Jamie Moore went 1-for-2 with two runs, a base on balls, and a stolen base. He and Morley combined on a great play in the seventh inning to record the second out, Morley diving to his left at third base and Moore digging the throw out of the dirt at first base, helping the Lakers barely averted a disastrous collapse. Carey batted 2-for-2, scored three times, and drove in three runs. He hit a single to tie Mike Bouffard's career singles record of 52; on his home run, he broke Luke Laroche's career RBI record of 51; I missed this, but last game he reached base for the 47th time this season, breaking Luke Laroche's year-old record. Colchester, seeded 13th, improved to 9-8 with the win and will travel to #4 Rice (11-5) for a Playdown game on Wednesday at 4:30 pm. Middlebury, seeded 20th, finished 3-13. This is the third consecutive year the Lakers have won at least nine games, and the first time since the 1982-84 seasons they have done so. This was also the highest scoring playoff game ever for the Lakers, with the 21 total runs breaking the record of 18 set in a 10-8 Playdown loss to Burlington in 1984. The 11 runs tied the record set last year in a Semifinal in Brattleboro. Hope to see everyone on Wednesday!

May 25, 2001

The Lakers will play Middlebury Union High School in a Division I Play-in game at Milton High School on Saturday at 1:00 pm. The need for a neutral site stems from the Division I Track & Field State Championships being held at Colchester HS on Saturday. The Tigers are seeded 20th, the lowest in the tournament, after going 3-12 during the regular season. Colchester, 8-8 during the regular season, are seeded 13th. This will mark the second postseason meeting between the teams: Colchester won the first, 6-5, in a 1994 Playdown game in Middlebury. It will also be only the second Play-in game in Laker history, the first coming on the road in 1997 when Alan Hill no-hit Hartford.

May 22, 2001

First off, thanks to everyone for attending Saddlemire Field Dedication Day today at CHS. We had a great turnout of students, teachers, parents, and former players who participated in the ceremony and hopefully left with many happy memories and full stomachs. Thanks especially to Greg and Sheila Clairmont and Steve Chase for lugging stuff around all day and to WVMT for letting us use their PA system. Also, thanks to the parents who helped out with making the day a success. The day went off without a hitch and the weather even held out for us! Now the Lakers can officially say they play at Saddlemire Field.

In their first meeting with Spaulding since the 1996 season, Colchester defeated the visiting Crimson Tide, 7-1, behind Travis Clairmont's strong pitching performance and Jamie Moore's big offensive day. Moore batted 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs while also stealing two bases. Clairmont allowed only three hits over five innings while walking just one batter and striking out seven. Jess Mattison cleaned up with two shutout innings of relief. The Lakers led only 2-1 before a big five-run fifth inning, in which Moore had a two-run single while Chris Corrigan and Tyler Critchlow each contributed run scoring hits. At least three runners reached base in five of the six innings Colchester batted, nine on hits and seven on bases on balls. Mattison had a good day at the dish, batting 2-for-2 with a run and two walks. Jason Carey finished the day 2-for-2 with a triple and two walks. He has been on base 48 times this season, surpassing Luke Laroche's 2000 record of 46. He was also caught stealing for the fourth time this year and the seventh time in his career, the former tying the mark set by Todd Charlebois and Mark Carpenter and the latter breaking Mark Carpenter's career record of six. His career slugging percentage is currently at .830, which would break Kevin Grabowski's record of .820. Also, Jason's .706 on-base percentage this season would break his year-old record of .698. I'll update his pursuit of other records after each game as he nears them. Colchester will find out either Thursday or Friday who they play and when. Stay tuned.

May 19, 2001

The Lakers lost a heartbreaker today, 4-3 in eight innings to host Milton, currently 13-1 and 8-0 in the Metro North. Colchester got on the board quickly, as the first three batters of the game reached base and scored, but that was all the offense Colchester mustered. They had five base runners in the first inning alone but were limited to the same number over the last seven innings and stranded four while having the fifth get caught stealing. Milton slowly crept back into the game by putting at least two runners on base in each of the first seven innings, and plated the tying run on a triple with one out in the bottom of seventh. However, a line drive to center field turned into a douple play when Andrew Folley gunned to third baseman Jamie Moore to double-up the potential winning run. Travis Clairmont's one out single in the eighth briefly sparked a rally before Milton won it in the bottom of the inning: the leadoff batter tripled off the left-center field fence on the first pitch and scored one pitch later on a wild pickoff attempt from pitcher Nick Morley. Chris Corrigan pitched the first four innings for the Lakers, allowing each an earned and unearned run while walking and striking out three batters apiece, and allowing only five hits. He also has zero decisions in six appearances, placing him in select company in Laker history: only two other pitchers (Todd Jewell and Curtis Esden) have ever appeared in six games without a decision and Chris is the only pitcher to start three games and have no decisions. Nick Morley, in his third pitching appearance on varsity, now has a 2-1 record and pitched pretty well over the last three-plus innings, allowing only four hits, but ran into trouble when he hit the potential tying run with a pitch with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning and then allowed the game-tying bloop triple. Colchester falls to 7-8 with the loss, including 5-3 in the Metro North, but faces Spaulding (3-10, 2-5) on Tuesday in their regular season finale at 4:30 pm in Colchester. Before the game (at about 4:00 pm), there will be a ceremony as the official moniker of the baseball field will finally bear coach Dave Saddlemire's name. "Saddie" coached for 17 years on varsity and is in his 21st year overall as the assistant coach on the jayvee squad. He retired from varsity after last season with a 115-172 record. The game will also mark the first meeting between Colchester and Spaulding since May 2, 1996, when the Lakers took out the Crimson Tide 7-2 at the field formerly known as "the baseball field at Colchester High School." We hope to see a lot of people at CHS on Tuesday. Come for the ceremony (4:00p) and stay for the game (4:30p). (There will be food for all you hungry baseball fans!)

May 17, 2001

Trailing by a single run in the sixth inning, the Lakers saw a 4-3 game turn into a 14-6 blowout loss at Centennial Field as Rice plated 10 runs in the seventh inning on nine hits against three Laker pitchers. The 10 runs were the most ever scored against Colchester in a seventh inning, breaking the record of eight set by Missisquoi in 1989, but nowhere near the 14 allowed at Centennial Field in the second inning of a 16-7 loss in 1992. Colchester jumped on the board first when Jason Carey drew a bases-loaded walk in the second inning, but that was all the Lakers mustered in the first four innings after stranding five runners in the first two frames. Overall, they left 11 on base today. Travis Clairmont pitched well over the first six innings, striking out nine batters, but ran into all kinds of trouble with two outs, allowing eight base runners and four runs with two down. Consecutive run-scoring hits by Tyler Critchlow and Jamie Moore in the fifth inning cut the deficit to 4-3, but Rice pounded Clairmont, Jess Mattison, and Chris Corrigan in the seventh inning for ten runs to put the game away. At one point in the inning, 11 out of 12 batters reached base, while twice four straight batters got hits, including once when four consecutive batters smacked a run-scoring hit. Seeing a score like this would lead one to believe that the defense was lacking and a few runs scored on errors today, but that was in no way the case: only one unearned run scored on only one error (committed in the outfield) and all 14 runs were driven in by a Little Indian. There were, however, at least three balls that took horrible hops over third baseman Jamie Moore, all of which were scored hits due to their unpredictable bounces. Clairmont ended up picking up the loss for the 7-7 Lakers, now 5-2 in the Metro North. Rice (by my count) is 9-4 and 5-2. A couple offensive bright spots today were Critchlow (3-for-3 for his first varsity hits, and an RBI) and Carey (2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 walks and a double). Jason Compagnon also drove in two runs on a single in a mini-rally in the bottom of the seventh inning and Rikki Albert picked up a pinch-hit single in the seventh to start that rally. The Lakers play again on Saturday at 11:00 am in Milton, the current leaders of the Metro North. See y'all there!

May 15, 2001

Following their second long bus ride in less than a week, the Lakers lit the cold Newport air ablaze in a six-inning, 15-5 victory over host North Country. Jason Carey provided the offensive highlight of the day with a fifth-inning Grand Slam, the second of his career and the third in the school's history. Jess Mattison pitched his fourth complete game in as many starts, impressive considering he didn't know he was pitching until the lineup card was written. In another strong outing, Jess scattered eight hits while walking two, striking out one, and allowing only one earned run. The Lakers led 5-4 after a sluggish first four innings, but tacked on six more runs in the fifth and four in the sixth to put the game out of reach. Ten players batted today and nine got hits. Some offensive highlights: Carey finished 2-for-2 with five RBI, two runs, and three bases on balls. The Grand Slam was his 25th career extra-base hit, a new record, and was his sixth career home run, moving him into a three-way tie for third place all-time; Justin Haight smacked his first varsity hit up the middle to plate two runs in the fifth inning; Andrew Folley drove in three runs; Travis Clairmont went 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and a double; Mattison batted 3-for-4 and scored three times; Jamie Moore scored twice; Jason Compagnon scored three times. Having won in Newport for the first time since 1994, the Lakers move to 7-6, including 5-1 in the Metro North. North Country falls to 7-5 and 3-3. Colchester hits the field next on Thursday for a 4:00 pm game versus Rice at Centennial Field! This will be the Lakers' twelfth game at Centennial Field, where they hold a 5-6 record, and will mark the first time since 1993 that they will play the home team at Centennial. Hope to see you all there!!

May 12, 2001

Rikki Albert pitched four strong innings, but shaky defense and seeing-eye hits did Colchester in as the Lakers fell to visiting Mount Abraham, 9-4. Albert struck out two and walked only two in 3-2/3 innings on the hill before being relieved by Chris Corrigan, who allowed one hit and K'd three over the remaining 3-1/3. Colchester committed five of their seven errors in the first four innings, but somehow yielded only two unearned runs. The Laker offense got going quickly: down 1-0, Jason Carey led off the first inning with a single to right, only to be picked off after a questionable move by the lefthanded pitcher to first base. However, the Lakers still put together a good rally in the first frame: Andrew Folley walked, moved to second on a wild pitch, third on a passed ball, and scored on Dusty Fregeau's groundout to short. Travis Clairmont walked on four pitches before Jess Mattison reached on an error, but Albert's ball back to the mound was snagged and thrown to first base for the third out. The Lakers sent six more batters to the plate in the fourth inning, scoring two unearned runs after two were out, but hard-throwing southpaw Tyler Pelland entered the game in the fifth, pitching the last three innings and earning the save while striking out four and allowing only Jess Mattison's hard-hit single into center. Carey finished the day 2-for-4, breaking his tie with Kevin Grabowski for the career total base record of 105. Folley also scored twice. Albert took the tough loss, though he impressed everyone today by consistently throwing strikes. He didn't walk his first batter until the fourth inning and only one ball in the first three innings was really hit hard. The defense struggled again with seven errors, though only a couple can be attributed to the damp conditions. Mount Abe becomes 8-4 with the win and Colchester falls to 6-6. The Lakers return to action again on Tuesday when we travel to Newport for a Metro North game with North Country. Game time is 4:30, but I expect the bus will leave at 12:30ish. We don't return home until May 22nd for the regular season finale against Spaulding on Saddlemire Field dedication day.

May 10, 2001

Colchester broke open a 4-3 game in the third inning by scoring two runs in the fourth, five in the fifth, and six in the seventh and rode Travis Clairmont's strong pitching to a 17-6 victory in St. Johnsbury. The Hilltoppers also hurt themselves by committing 11 errors, the most ever by a CHS opponent, and allowed the same number of unearned runs. The Lakers took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, keyed by Clairmont's two-run double. The Lakers held a slim 4-3 lead in the third inning after two St. Johnsbury home runs, but Andrew Folley drove in a run and stole home on a double steal to give the Lakers a 6-3 lead and a stepping stone for the last three innings, which saw St. Johnsbury commit ten errors and allow 11 runs, ten unearned! Clairmont went the route for the victory while striking out five and walking two, and allowing seven hits and four earned runs. Jason Carey went 2-for-3 and doubled, tying the career records for extra-base hits (24) and total bases (105). He also drove in two runs and scored four times. Folley went 3-for-5 with four runs, two RBIs, and two stolen bases. Clairmont also went 3-for-5, scored twice, and drove in four runs. The Lakers play again on Saturday in a non-league game versus Mount Abraham at 11:00 am at CHS.

May 8, 2001

In their first meeting since April 27, 1983, Colchester defeated Lamoille 6-5 after a furious sixth inning rally from a 5-1 deficit, which saw them score five times. Lamoille ace Tyler Thomas kept the Lakers off balance for the first five innings but his wildness caught up to him in the sixth inning when he walked three batters. Travis Clairmont (double) and Jess Mattison led off the inning with the last two hits of the day for Colchester before Kevin Lilley drove in the first run of the inning on a fielder's choice grounder. Later, with the bases loaded, Thomas threw a wild pitch, allowing the second run to score. After an intentional walk to Jason Carey to load the bases with two down and the score 5-3, Andrew Folley lined a hard shot to left field, which the left fielder misjudged and lost in the trees, allowing all three runners to score and Andrew to reach third base. In all, Thomas allowed only four hits and struck out nine on 123 pitches, but walked eight and saw four unearned runs score. Jess Mattison matched him and, except for a tough third inning in which four runs scored (only two earned), pitched exceptionally well, striking out three and walking four in his third complete game of the season. He only allowed seven hits on 106 pitches and pulled off the rarest of all feats in the fourth inning, inducing two pop-ups and a liner to first baseman Travis Clairmont for a three-pitch inning! Clairmont recorded 14 putouts, tying the old single-game record which he broke at South Burlington a few weeks ago. Andrew Folley also played very well over at third base and Tyler Critchlow came up with a huge sliding catch in right field to end Lamoille's sixth inning threat. Jason Carey broke another career record today, reaching base for the 89th time when he was intenionally walked in the sixth inning, breaking the record held by Mike Bouffard, Carey's teammate during his sophomore season. Lilley's RBI was the only one of the game for Colchester and only Carey, Clairmont, Mattison, and Dusty Fregeau got hits off of Thomas. The Lakers are back at .500 (5-5) after a rough 0-4 start, and are 3-1 in the Metro North, second only to Milton, their opponent next Saturday. On Thursday, the Lakers will travel to St. Johnsbury (in a Premiere bus, I hear) for a 4:30 pm game. St. Jay is 2-5 overall and 1-3 in the league, but their offense is as potent as ever and they should prove a formidable opponent. See y'all on Thursday in St. Jay!

May 7, 2001

Chris Corrigan and Nick Morley teamed up to five-hit Middlebury as the Lakers rolled, 12-2, in a ten-run-rule shortened game on Monday afternoon at Colchester. Despite an early 1-0 deficit after a first inning solo home run, Colchester battled back mercilessly, scoring 12 of the last 13 runs in the game. The rally started when senior Jason Carey hit a solo home run to dead center field to lead off the first inning, giving him 64 career hits and the school's career record in that department. He finished 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Colchester then struck quickly in the second inning, plating the first five batters and holding a 6-2 lead that they never relinquished. Corrigan pitched two fine innings but since he threw 55 pitches on Saturday, was limited by Coach Phillips to only two innings on the hill. Sophomore Nick Morley threw well over the final three innings to pick up the "W" and also smacked his first varsity hit. Other notables: Andrew Folley extended his hitting streak to nine games by going 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI; Jess Mattison batted 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs, while also walking twice; Jamie Moore scored twice; and Jason Compagnon drove in two runs. The following also tied or broke records: 17th win versus a team (tied); 9th win at home against one team (broken); most runs scored all-time against one team; most runs scored all-time at home versus one team.

May 6, 2001

Colchester's early-season problems of inconsistent pitching and poor defense returned yesterday as the Lakers lost at Harwood, 9-3. In Colchester's first game against the Highlanders since May 17, 1983, starting pitcher Travis Clairmont went only 2-2/3 innings, walking five of the 19 batters he faced and going to three-ball counts on nine of them. However, if not for four defensive miscues in the first two innings, the Lakers wouldn't have found themselves in an early 3-0 hole. After Travis allowed six runs to score (four earned), Chris Corrigan relieved him for the final 3-1/3 innings, yielding three more runs, but only one earned. Harwood plated at least one run in each inning, which makes a good segue into this humbling stat: opponents have scored at least one run in 12 of the last 13 innings against Colchester, and the only inning they didn't score was when BFA-St. Albans put two runners on base with only one out before an inning-ending double play. Another disappointing stat: the Lakers have gone 15 consecutive innings without retired their opponents 1-2-3; their last 1-2-3 inning was the fifth inning of the May 1st game versus Missisquoi. Aside from the six errors and seven bases on balls dished out, there were a couple offensive bright spots on Saturday: Jason Carey, Travis Clairmont, and Jason Compagnon each smacked two hits, the latter two each legging out a double. Jess Mattison also came up big in the sixth inning with a two-out, two-run single, plating Colchester's first two runs of the game. Dusty Fregeau continued to swing a hot stick, though the stats don't reflect it; he went 1-for-3 but hit the ball hard to the left fielder twice, narrowly missing two more hits. The only negative thing I can possibly say about the offense is that they left seven runners on base, stranding at least one in all but the second inning. And here's how well the offense has been putting runners on base and how poorly they've been cashing in on their opportunities: over the last 48 innings, the Lakers have scored 54 runs but left 57 runners stranded, including at least one in 40 of those innings. Ouch. Here are a few "LOB" stats: runners have been LOB in 11 of the last 12 innings; 18 of the last 20; 22 of 24; 28 of 31. Of course, that means we're putting runners on base: the Lakers have been put down in order only six times in 52 innings they've batted this season. That's a pretty good stat. Also on Saturday, Jason Carey's fifth inning single into right field tied him with Bryant Perry for the career hits record of 63. In 10 meetings with Harwood, the Lakers are now 3-7, including 1-5 as the visiting team. However, that one win came in a doubleheader in 1976 played at CHS, where CHS was the home team in the first game and the visiting team in the second. So, we've only played them five times in Moretown, which means...we're 0-5 at their field. And the last time Colchester defeated Harwood: May 15, 1982 by a 10-2 score. Doug Bergstein, whose 14-1 career record is the best in school history, picked up the win. The last time Colchester had faced Harwood, as I mentioned, was in 1983, when CHS lost 6-1 in Moretown. The upside of Saturday's game was that CHS scored the most runs in Moretown since they also scored three times in 1977. Corky Van Kleeck coached the team that did that. And now that we're halfway through the season, it's time to analyze past teams that have gotten to the eight-game mark with a 3-5 record. According to history, there are two very different routes a 3-5 team can take: the 1991 started 3-5 and were actually worse in the second half, going 1-7 to finish up at 4-12. They missed out on the postseason because back then, teams needed about eight or nine wins to make the playoffs. The 1995 team, however, played 180 degrees in the other direction in their second half, going 7-1. They actually started 2-5 before winning eight of their last nine, including going 7-1 in the Metro South, thus winning the league, and finishing the regular season at 10-6. They lost their Playdown game when their ace pitcher didn't show up, and finished the season with an impressive 10-7 record, their best since 1983. So depending on how the defense and pitching come together over the final eight games, the Lakers might need a Play-in game to get into the playoffs or could be looking at a top-eight seed and a home game in the Playdown round. With the talent and inconsistency they've shown in the first half of the season, they're capable of both scenarios.

May 2, 2001

Tonight, the Colchester School Board decided to allow the CHS baseball field to be named after Coach Dave Saddlemire. Since last June when the 2000 team suggested the idea, we had travelled down a long road to get to this point, but the school board made a very good decision about a tough issue that was overwhelmingly supported by the community. So THANK YOU to everyone who has supported our cause; you are all invited to the dedication day, currently scheduled for May 22nd before our home finale versus Spaulding. There will be a ceremony and some other planned events. And food. We don't have an official name for the field yet (i.e., "David Saddlemire Field"), but it will definitely bear Coach Saddlemire's name in some form. I'll let you know as I find out.

May 1, 2001

Travis Clairmont was back in ace form today and the defense committed nary an error as Colchester defeated visiting Missisquoi, 6-1, at Saddie Field. Travis pitched five-plus strong innings for the victory, striking out seven and walking only one, before giving way to Rikki Albert, who pitched the final two innings for the save. Rikki came in with a runner on second and promptly walked the first batter on four pitches before settling down and retiring six of the next seven batters. Even had he not entered the game in a save situation, his clutch relief pitching would have been worthy of a save; he truly saved the game from getting too close in the sixth inning. The offensive heroes today were Jason Carey and Clairmont, who each went 3-for-4. Andrew Folley and Clairmont each doubled and Travis helped his own cause by driving in three runs. The win was the eighth home victory against Missisquoi, tying the all-time record set against Vergennes and Middlebury. Colchester now stands at 15-21 all-time against MVU and at 170-230 after 400 regular season games (180-244 overall). With his second coaching victory, Head Coach Pat Phillips moves into a fourth place tie with Corky Van Kleeck (1977) in the "wins" category. The Lakers travel to BFA-St. Albans on Thursday for a 4:30 game at the Perley-Collins Sports Complex baseball field.

April 30, 2001

We're off the schneid!! Jess Mattison pitched his second complete game in as many starts and Colchester won their first game of the year, 13-2 over Burlington, thus avoiding their first 0-5 start since 1987. The game was played at Colchester, but Burlington played the home team since it was originally scheduled to be played in Burlington. Jess was masterful on the hill, punching out 6 batters while walking only one, and the defense keeps improving, with only 2 errors being made today. Jess went 2-for-3 at the dish and scored twice while Jason Carey also went 2-for-3 and drove in 3 runs. Jason Compagnon scored 2 runs and got hit by a pitch twice, which I'm sure ties some sort of school record. With the victory in what was technically a road game, Colchester improves to 2-8 all-time in road games against Burlington after losing the first 8 matches. The Lakers won 20-2 in 1999, the last time they visited BHS. Tomorrow we will host Missisquoi (2-2), against whom we hold a 14-21 all-time record, including 7-10 at home. We haven't lost to them since 1996 (4 games).

April 29, 2001

The Lakers lost a tough game against South Burlington on April 26th, 4-3 in 8 innings. Chris Corrigan made a strong varsity pitching debut, shutting the Rebels out on 3 hits in his first 6-2/3 innings before running out of gas and allowing a couple bloop hits in a 3-run seventh inning. Until that point Colchester had held a 3-0 lead, scoring all of their runs in the sixth inning on RBIs from Dusty Fregeau, Travis Clairmont, and Jamie Moore. It was good to see Jamie and Travis swing the bat well for the first time this season and each picked up their first hits. Jess Mattison (2 hits) and Andrew Folley (3 hits, including a double) also continued to hit well. In the eighth inning, the Lakers put two runners on base but could not cash in. Rikki Albert pitched the bottom of the inning, but only recorded one out while allowing 2 walks and a game-winning single. Rikki has compiled some freak stats this season: 11 bases on balls against 26 batters in 2-2/3 innings and 2 losses but only 3 hits allowed. As a side note first baseman Travis Clairmont set a single-game record for putouts on Thursday, recording 15 of them (out of only 22 outs). The former record of 14 was shared by catcher Dave Monty (set in 1985), first baseman Aaron Noble (1986), and first baseman Justin Bissonnette (2000). The Lakers return to action on Monday, April 30th, in a 4pm contest at winless Burlington (0-4). Unless we forge a tie, one team will have to prevail with their first victory of the season! Hope to see you all there!

April 24, 2001

Colchester's difficulties with Essex continued today with a 16-4 home loss. It was Colchester's 19th loss in 23 games with Essex dating back to 1982, including their 10th loss in 11 home meetings. Rikki Albert got the start on the mound and allowed only a leadoff single, but struggled with his control, dishing out 4 bases on balls and hitting 2 batters. He left after getting only one batter out in the first inning and gave way to Jamie Moore, who pitched effectively over the next 5-2/3 innings. For the most part the Laker defense looked sharp today, committing only 3 errors. Andrew Folley hit a solo home run for his first varsity dinger and three players -- Jason Compagnon, Kevin Lilley, and Chris Corrigan -- collected their first varsity hits, all singles. Jason also scored twice and stole a base. The Lakers are off to their first 0-3 start since 1993 but have played three tough games against tough teams in their first action of the spring, so they were bound to hit some bumps here and there. On Thursday we return to action on the road against South Burlington at 4:00pm. Hope to see you all there!

April 23, 2001

Jess Mattison pitched a four-hit gem, but Colchester's defense was once again inconsistent, committing 7 errors, and we lost at Mount Mansfield, 9-5. The Lakers committed four first-inning errors, and MMU capitalized with 5 runs on only 3 hits. Over the next five innings, Jess allowed only a double to the number nine hitter. Only four runs were earned and Jess struck out 3 while walking 5. The Laker offense struggled overall today, but both Mattison and Rikki Albert had good days at the dish. Jess only went 1-for-3 but scored twice, doubled in a run, and stole two bases. Rikki was the only player on either team to record multiple hits, going 2-for-2 while scoring once, and walking and getting hit by a pitch once each. He also atoned for a first inning error with a nifty diving catch in the third inning on a ball that got caught up in the tough wind. In six plate appearances this season he has yet to be retired. Colchester is 11-28 all-time against MMU, including 3-16 on the road, by far the worst road record against any team. We play tomorrow at 4:00 pm against 3-0 Essex, but at least we play at home. In only two games, we have already committed 13 errors and allowed the same number of unearned runs. As the game progressed, there were some encouraging signs that we're breaking out of our defensive funk, so we'll see how we play tomorrow.

April 21, 2001

We lost our opener today, 22-7, to visiting Champlain Valley. It was our first game this spring and only our fourth day on the field. The pitching struggled at times while the CVU hitters seemed to find every hole possible. Jason Carey went 3-for-3 with a double and 3 runs while fellow senior captain Andrew Folley went 2-for-3 and drove in 2 runs. Travis Clairmont, Folley, and Rikki Albert shared pitching duties and Travis picked up the loss. There were also a couple of records which were set or met during the game, a couple of the dubious kind: the 8 runs allowed during the fourth inning were the most runs allowed EVER during a fourth inning, and the 29 total runs scored tied the record for most combined runs in a home game. The 22 runs allowed were the second-most ever allowed (24 runs allowed to Rice in 1999) and were the most allowed on an opening day, eclipsing the 21 runs allowed on Opening Day 1978. Jason Carey reached another milestone in his illustrious career, scoring 3 runs to up his career total to 56, passing Ty Pratt by a single run for first place in that statistical category. His third inning double was the 16th of his career, extending his own career record. I also hope that we see Andrew Folley pitch a few more times this year so he gets an opportunity to lower his 42.00 ERA. Of the 87 Lakers who have pitched in the program's 26-year history, Andrew owns the highest ERA.

April 19, 2001

Thank you to those who came to the school board meeting last night. The support was much appreciated. Our issue has been "tabled" by the board and we will appear once again in front of the board on Wednesday, May 2nd at 7:00 pm, again in the CHS Library. During the time we have before the next meeting, we are going to try to create more awareness of this issue in the community and also look for more signatures. Also, click here [ed. note: dead link removed] to find contact info for each school board member, and please help out by contacting each member and letting them know why you support this cause, and share your thoughts on Saddie as well if you like.

April 18, 2001

Leading off: TONIGHT (WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18TH) AT 7:00 PM THERE IS A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING IN THE COLCHESTER HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY. WE WILL BE ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF NAMING THE BASEBALL FIELD AFTER COACH DAVE SADDLEMIRE. PLAYERS, PARENTS, AND EVERYONE ELSE INTERESTED PLEASE ATTEND!!!!

Secondly, Tuesday's game with MMU has been re-scheduled for next Monday (April 23rd) at 4:00 pm in Jericho. This Saturday's scheduled game also stands a good chance of being played at home, as scheduled, and the game scheduled for April 30th at Burlington could be moved to CHS due to poor field conditions. However, things could clear up by then, so stay tuned.

April 14, 2001

Today's game versus Middlebury Union High School has been postponed until a later date. We certainly have time to make up this game, but over the rest of the season the high school teams are only allowed to play three games during the school week and two on the weekend. Tuesday's game at Mount Mansfield is in doubt, as well, and while it hasn't officially been postponed, I assume it will be. After the MMU game, Colchester's next scheduled game is on Saturday, April 21st, versus Champlain Valley Union.

April 12, 2001

Today's game at Burlington High School has been postponed until Monday, April 30th, at 4:00 pm, presumably to be made up at BHS. The games scheduled for this coming Saturday and Tuesday also stand a good chance of being cancelled/postponed due to the snow that's piled up everywhere.

April 11, 2001

It doesn't appear as though we will be playing tomorrow (April 12th) or on Saturday, April 14th. The fields at CHS and Burlington High School are still under a considerable amount of snow. I assume we'll either make up the games we miss on off-days or play some doubleheaders on Saturdays. On a plus side, a few of the players' mothers (Cindy Carey, Sheila Clairmont, Kathy Folley, and Debbie Haight) have been giving their free time to painting the dugouts at the CHS field. They're looking great so far, and it will much easier to finish up painting once (if) the snow melts. With its recent facelift, the field will look pretty spiffy this coming season: the dugouts were taken apart and put back together with new bricks, and they will be freshly painted; apparently there's new dirt that still has to be spread on the field; also, soon we hope to have a new moniker for the field. Somehow, "the CHS field" just doesn't have much of a ring to it...

April 8, 2001

In anticipation of Thursday's scheduled Opening Day game at Burlington High School, here are some Opening Day facts:

April 7, 2001

Head Coach Pat Phillips told me yesterday that all of our scheduled scrimmages have been cancelled, though he hopes to scrimmage in New Hampshire at some point before the season starts. The VPA will decide pretty soon on what to do (if anything) about the schedule if the snow persists, possibly moving the season back a few days or even shortening the season. When I find out, I'll let you all know.

The players have also determined who the captains will be this year: lone seniors Jason Carey and Andrew Folley, and junior Travis Clairmont. Carey is a vocal leader as well as a leader by example and if the last three years have been any indication, he could once again put up gaudy offensive numbers. He's a shortstop by trade with a great combination of power and speed, and could legitimately bat anywhere from one to nine. Folley is another vocal leader and can play anywhere in the field: he's been a catcher for many years, but can play first, second, and third base, pitch, and play the corners in the outfield. Last year, he earned a starting job in the outfield and batted .300 while scoring seven runs over the last eight regular season games while filling the 2-hole for the injured Carey. Travis Clairmont takes over as the ace of the pitching staff this year, and is another leader by example. Armed with a stoic demeanor and an arsenal of nasty pitches, Travis led the team with a 5-1 record and a 0.69 ERA last season despite missing the first six games, becoming only the third Colchester sophomore to record five wins in a season. He is also the first non-senior to hold the title of captain since junior Scott Benoit in 1988, and only the fourth ever (that I know of).

April 5, 2001

Sunny skies and warm temperatures are just the combination we need for the snow to melt, but our field may need more help than that to rid itself of the snow. Here's the most recent forecast from weather.com, as of 6:36 pm on April 5th: rain and a high of 41 on April 6th; mostly cloudy, high of 50 on April 7th; scattered showers and highs between 60 and 70 on April 8th, 9th, and 10th; partly cloudy April 11th through 13th, highs near 50. We've come too close to Opening Day to finally be getting this kind of weather because it takes time for the snow to melt and then for the field to dry out. We're not scheduled to host a game until Saturday, April 14th, so we have about eight days for our field to get in playing shape. Odds are it won't happen, but one never knows.

As far as the team itself goes, we have begun practicing in the (not very) expansive school parking lot, using parked cars for target practice: small two-doors are worth a single and a school bus is a home run. It's not a baseball field, but it certainly beats the gym. At this point, 15 guys are supposed to be practicing with varsity, though it appears that sophomore Jared Lowe might pitch on varsity and catch on JV this year. When I find out for sure, I'll make sure you all know as well. In case anyone was wondering, the first two scrimmages that were supposed to be played (April 4th & 5th) were cancelled, and the Saturday game is pretty much in doubt as well. Odds are we won't be making the trip down to New Hampshire this coming Sunday, either, as they have a good amount of snow as well. In fact, Hopkinton High School, the host of the scrimmages, has already had to cancel three scrimmages in the past week and has commented on their web site that the probability of playing their games this weekend is "Not Looking Good." For those of you scoring at home, the latest a season has ever begun was on April 27th in 1983, '93, & '94, though the playoffs began on June 1st in '83 and in the second week of June in '93 & '94. It would be disastrous if that sort of date was the first time we hit the field this year: imagine playing 16 games in a four-week stretch before the postseason begins on May 26th. Scary.

March 31, 2001

Our schedule was optimistically put together before anyone realized that March in Vermont would be a perpetual snowstorm. With that said, it's unrealistic to believe that we'll be playing scrimmages this coming Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday at CHS and SBHS. However, our scrimmage(s) next Sunday in New Hampshire could still occur because, while they're expecting some snow on Monday, they're supposed to get 50 to 60-degree weather every day after that. Of course, even if we play in NH, it's unclear as to when this snow will melt in Vermont (if ever). Here is weather.com's nine-day forecast for Colchester, as of 4 pm on March 31st: March 31-April 2: snow; April 3-6: rain and temps between 45 and 60 degrees; April 7: cloudy; April 8-9: sunny. Might we actually open the regular season on time?? Stay tuned.

March 30, 2001

The Opening Day roster is quickly taking shape. As of right now, first year varsity coach Pat Phillips has fifteen players practicing on his varsity squad, only two of which are seniors: Jason Carey and Andrew Folley. However, an overwhelming eleven juniors are on the team, including three with previous varsity experience: Travis Clairmont (23 games in two seasons), Jamie Moore (played every inning in 2000), and Jason Compagnon (late-season call-up in 2000). Sophomores Dustin Fregeau and Jared Lowe are still practicing with varsity and appear to be the only underclassmen in position to make the team, though there are certainly other sophomores who could contribute at the varsity level by season's end. I'm not even going to get into predicting who will be a regular at which position this season because there are a lot of players who can play a lot of positions. But it's good to see this amount of versatility.

A fifteen man roster would be the largest Opening Day roster since the 1997 team had the same number. As a side note, there are only two left-handed throwers in the CHS baseball program, both on JV, and if neither one plays on varsity this season, it will be the first time since 1992 that nary a southpaw has appeared on varsity, and only the second time since 1984.

March 24, 2001

Hey all. I just recently found out that on Wednesday, April 18th, we will be able to present our case to name the baseball field after Coach Saddlemire to the school board in the CHS Libary at 7:00 pm. Everyone is invited to attend; the more, the better.

March 20, 2001

Hola! I just added yet another page, this one with all of the post-season awards or recognition that Lakers have received following the season, including All-League honors, Twin State selections, and Scott Benoit Memorial Award recipients. Check it out. Some of this year's players will be added to these lists following the season.

March 16, 2001

First off, thank you to the volunteers who collected about 300 signatures on Town Voting Day, March 6: Greg Clairmont, Jason & Gary Carey, and Dawn & Mike Bissonnette. Soon we will find out when we are scheduled to appear in front of the school board, and then hopefully the field-naming issue will be resolved.

Baseball is FINALLY here! Practice starts on Monday, but who knows when the team will get outside. The 2001 schedule has been confirmed, with one slight change: the May 17th game against Rice will be at Centennial Field at 4:00 pm. It will mark the seventh consecutive season that the Lakers will play a game at the historic ballpark, but the first time since 1995 that CHS will play the home team. Not much else is going on, but when the roster is confirmed I'll post that, and then hopefully the stats will start rolling in. Think Spring, everyone, and maybe the snow will start melting! See y'all soon!

February 16, 2001

Well, I've finally finished my "research." I had been poring over all of the newspapers and box scores from as far back as the 1976 season since last August, and I've found out about many records and many interesting (and dubious) games. The most notable things I have discovered can be found on the "Records" pages, but to summarize: a Laker has hit two homers in the same game three times (Paul Choiniere once, Kevin Grabowski twice); a cycle (single, double, triple, homer) has occurred once in Laker history (by John Bond); a fourth no-hitter occurred in 1995, when D.J. Peters and Tom Dicesare teamed up to no-hit Burlington. I now also have a complete listing of saves for each pitcher in CHS history. The player who owns the career saves record is Alan Hill, who pitched from 1995-97 and picked up a save in each of those years. In his case, it's a fluke thing, because he was a starting pitcher most of his career, starting 13 of the 19 games he appeared in. In fact, he only pitched 8-2/3 innings of relief in three years on varsity. Here's the list of the top six (lists of the top ten all-time players in each statistical category are available on the "Leaders in All-Time Stats" page):

1. Alan Hill, 3
2. Doug Bergstein, 2
... Luke Laroche, 2
... D.J. Peters, 2
... Jamie Vetters, 2
... Matt Weinheimer, 2


February 14, 2001

Two things: First, we are still trying to name the Colchester High School baseball field after recently-retired coach Dave Saddlemire (better known as "Saddie" to his players and their parents). However, my understanding is that no buildings or miscellaneous school property in Colchester may be named after a teacher or a student, but that they can be named in honor of administrators. Colchester's Superintendent of Schools, Pam Carnahan, suggested to Cindy Carey that we put together a petition and get as many of Colchester's registered voters to sign it, then present the signatures to the School Board. So that is exactly what we plan on doing. Cindy and I are trying to organize people to be present at voting locations on Town Voting Day (Tuesday, March 6) in order to collect these signatures. So look for us that day, and don't forget to register to vote if you haven't done so already.

Secondly, I just realized that Marc Ferlo's first name has been misspelled since the day I launched this web site, which was almost four years ago. Sorry Marc!! I have removed all references to "Mark" and replaced them with "Marc."

February 12, 2001

Still updating the web site. I just split the "Records" page into two pages: Team Records" and "Individual Records." And one statistical note: while looking through the old newspapers at scores and such, I found out that Kenny Boucher was only credited with pitching 6 innings on 4/25/95, when he actually pitched 6-1/3. Therefore, with that extra 1/3 of an inning pitched, he is tied for the all-time lead in innings pitched with Doug Bergstein, at 109. Additionally, D.J. Peters, who had been credited with that extra 1/3 of an inning, has a change in his career innings pitched totals, going from 8 to 7-2/3.

February 4, 2001

I'm still looking over all the old newspapers and checking for records and such, and I have found that I had Dan Wahlstrom's name misspelled due to the fact that he was listed as Dan "Walstrom" in all of the old records. Sorry Dan! But that's why I'm doing this checking up, just to make sure my info's accurate.

January 30, 2001

A big THANKS goes out to Cindy Carey, who has relayed me a tentative schedule for the 2001 season. Remember, TENTATIVE SCHEDULE! Within the next couple of months, we will know about any scrimmages and whether any of our games will be played at Centennial Field. As far as the alignment goes, I found out that Harwood will be in the Metro North, not the Metro South, as I said yesterday. I fixed that error in yesterday's update. The season-opener is scheduled for Thursday, April 12 (at Burlington), which would be the earliest season-opener ever for Colchester, having played on April 13 twice before. Colchester will be playing 9 league games in the Metro North, with league play beginning on May 1. The Lakers will face 3 opponents which they haven't faced in a long time: Spaulding, whom they haven't played since 1996, and Harwood and Lamoille, whom they will play each for the first time since 1983. This will also be the first season since 1983 that the Lakers won't face border-rival Winooski, whom they had played at least once during all 17 years they have been in the Metro Division. There is also no chance of facing the Spartans in the playoffs because Winooski is a Division II team. Colchester also won't be facing Vergennes (a Division III team) for the first time since the 1994 season. The Lakers will face each Mount Mansfield and Missisquoi for the 26th straight season, as they remain the only 2 teams that Colchester has faced during every year of their existence.

January 29, 2001

For those of you who don't know (and who actually will read this), I have been informed by more than one source that we will be in the Metro North this coming season. This is the divisional alignment for the coming season:


January 11, 2001

Once again, I have changed the batting stats pages. I decided that instead of chopping the batting stats into three pages I would simply have them all one page, even if it will take up to 20 seconds for it to load on a 56.6K modem. I have done this with Batting Stats I and II. I have also put the fielding stats back on one page. I have also been looking at old newspapers on microfilm and finding out a lot of information from the early-eighties. You can check some of the information out on the "Memorable Moments" page, which highlights good and bad moments and games in CHS baseball history. Also, I have discovered that Brian Parizo's first name is actually spelled "Bryan". If anyone can give me evidence that disputes this, please do so. I want to make sure that I have accurate information.

January 6, 2001

My apologies to Jeremy Goulet. The old records listed him as "Jerry", which is what I had been listing him as. So I have now changed all references to him to "Jeremy". I also found out that Jim Carleton graduated in 1981, not 1979. How nobody before me had realized this error is beyond me, but he only played in two games in 1979, so he may have just been a late-season call-up from junior varsity. Also, I think that Paul Balboni graduated in 1982, not 1983. So I have changed that as well.

January 5, 2001

I changed the graduation year for five players: Jay Dashnow, George Desorcie, and David Lavigne (from 1980 to 1981); and Jim Kipp and Rich Regimbal (from 1981 to 1982). Shari Sheehey gave me some information regarding whether David was in the 1980 class or not, and I am still not completely positive that he was in the class of 1981. Or that he graduated from CHS. But I am positive that I am correct about the other four players.