Close to 80 Former Vermont High School Baseball Players On 2020 NCAA Rosters

Contact: Bruce Bosley, VBCA executive director

Just under 80 former Vermont high school baseball players were members of NCAA baseball programs for the 2020 season that was cut short in mid-March by COVID-19. Two more are with major league organizations in spring training awaiting possible assignments to minor league affiliates. Several others with ties to Green Mountain State high schools and colleges are on collegiate coaching staffs this season including 10 head coaches, three at the Division I level.

Vermont student-athletes from 39 different high schools from all four high school divisions and all corners of the state, dotted the rosters of 34 different college programs in 2020. Among the five student-athletes on Division I programs, this is the 12th straight season a former Vermont high school player played baseball at an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) program, one of the top Division I baseball conferences in the nation.

As well as the 10 collegiate head coaches, Jack Leggett, a South Burlington High School alum and longtime Clemson, Western Carolina and UVM head coach, was the head coach last summer of the 2019 USA Baseball U-18 National Team that won the silver medal at the World Championships.

If you know of any others on four-year NCAA collegiate rosters, please e-mail Bruce Bosley, executive director of the VBCA, at bbosley.vbca@gmail.com.  

NCAA Division I:

Boston College (ACC): Will Hesslink, Jr., LHP, Rice Memorial (Shelburne);

Connecticut (AAC): Leif Bigelow, Fr-rs, RHP, Brattleboro;

Merrimack (Northeast): Brayden Howrigan, So., RHP, Enosburg Falls;

St. Bonaventure (A-10): Elijah Baez, Jr-rs., RHP, Essex;

Siena (MAAC): Donovan Montgomery, Fr., IF, Burlington;

NCAA Division II:

Concordia (Calif.): Henry Conroy, Jr-rs., RHP, Rice Memorial (Shelburne);
New Haven: Tyler Wells, Fr., RHP, St. Johnsbury (Danville);

Post University (Conn.): Travvis Ferguson, Jr., RHP, Lyndon Institute;

Saint Michael's: Brady Perron, Fr., C, Lake Region (Orleans);

West Virginia Wesleyan: Jake Hakey, Jr., RHP, BFA-Fairfax (Georgia);

NCAA Division III: 

Babson: Jordy Allard, Jr., RHP, Hartford (Woodstock);

SUNY Canton: Zach Bates, Fr., RHP/IF, Rutland;

Castleton: Davis Mikell, Sr., RHP/1B, Champlain Valley (Williston); Andy Kenosh, Jr., RHP, Rutland; Richard Walker, Jr., RHP, Missisquoi Valley (Swanton); Reece DeCastro, So., IF, Rutland; Liam Foley, Fr., OF, Mount Mansfield (Jeffersonville); Jackson Lane, Fr., RHP, Arlington; Adam Newton, Fr., RHP, Brattleboro;  Hunter Perkins, Fr., OF, Hartford (Quechee); Daniel Petrie, Fr., C, Brattleboro;

Clarkson: Mark Connor, Sr., RHP; BFA St. Albans; Colby Brouillette, Fr., C; BFA St. Albans; Grady Cram, Fr., IF/RHP, Essex;

Colby-Sawyer: Alec Burns, Jr., 2B, Enosburg Falls; Jake Choiniere, So., C/1B, St. Johnsbury; Kristian Vilanjen, So., OF/LHP, Stowe/Peoples Academy; Cooper O'Brien, Fr, 1B, Vergennes; Michael Roy, Fr., IF/RHP, BFA-Fairfax;

Dean (Mass.): Stanley Grandfield, So., RHP, Harwood (Waterbury); Ben Tate, So., RHP, South Burlington;

Endicott: Joseph Brown, Jr., RHP, Poultney; Ian Parent, Fr., LHP, Champlain Valley;

Husson: Matt Graziano, Sr., OF, St. Johnsbury; Brandon Brunell, So., RHP, Lyndon Institute;  Jared Cushing, Fr., RHP, Blue Mountain (Ryegate); Hunter O'Connor, Fr., LHP, Vergennes; Zach Whitmore, Fr., LHP, Randolph; 

Keene State: Josh Beayon, Fr., LHP, Otter Valley (Pittsford); Lucas McClanahan, Fr., C, Colchester; Patrick McKeighan, Fr., RHP, Otter Valley (Pittsford); 

NVU-Lyndon: Tyler Davis, Sr., RHP, Blue Mountain (Groton); Sam Ongenoff, Sr., IF/RHP, Brattleboro;  Matt Page, Sr., RHP, Blue Mountain (Groton); Codi Smith, Sr., OF/RHP, Hartford; Noah Barton, Jr., IF, South Burlington; Cameron Flinn, Jr., IF/RHP, Williamstown (Barre); Caleb Laroche, Jr., OF, Enosburg Falls (Franklin); Tyler Roberge, Jr., OF, Essex; Ryder Thornton, Jr., C, Essex; Kyle DeRosia, So., LHP, Union-32 (Worcester); Joe Rafus, So., LHP, Twin Valley (Whitingham); T.J. Santaw., So., RHP/IF, North Country (Newport); Ryan Boucher, So., OF, BFA St. Albans; Matt Brault, Fr., OF/RHP, Milton; Nate Pierce, Fr., LHP, Harwood (Waitsfield);

Maine-Farmington: Nathan Poulin, So., RHP, Williamstown; Danny Terhune, So., C/OF, South Burlington; 

Maine-Presque Isle: Collin Racine, So., IF, Long Trail School (Rutland); 

New England College: Wyatt Cameron, Fr., RHP, Middlebury (Salisbury);

Norwich: Hayden Roberge, So., OF, Union-32 (Middlesex); Anthony Castellaneta, Fr., C, Spaulding  (Barre); Ryland Richardson, Fr., IF, Windsor; Robert Slocum, Fr., RHP, Windsor; 

Penn State-Harrisburg: Nick Fitzgerald, So., RHP, Lamoille (Johnson); 

Plymouth State: Eli Oliver, Fr., OF, Union-32 (East Montpelier); Ryan Semprebon, Fr., OF, Harwood (Waterbury);

Rensselaer (RPI): Noah Normyle, Sr., IF, Mount Anthony (Bennington); 

Salisbury (Md.): Sky Rahill, So., OF, Burlington;

Saint Joseph's (Maine): George Goldsworthy, Fr., RHP, Mount Mansfield (Cambridge); 

Saint Lawrence: Patrick Greenan, Jr., LHP, Saint Johnsbury; Liam Reiner, So., RHP, Champlain Valley (Williston); Tyler Millette, Fr., C, Essex; Collin Vincent, Fr., RHP, Champlain Valley (Shelburne);  

Southern Maine: Thomas Vesosky, So., OF, Colchester;

Union: Chris O'Brien, Jr., 1B, Champlain Valley (Williston);

Wentworth: Orin Mahikoa, Fr., RHP, Oxbow (Corinth);

Williams: Ryan Young, So., IF, Essex;

Bryant & Stratton Albany (USCAA): Nathan Bathalon, So., RHP, Fair Haven

Affiliated Minor League Baseball organizations: 

Colorado Rockies: Rayne Supple*, RHP, Champlain Valley (Shelburne)

Texas Rangers: Theo McDowell*, RHP, South Burlington (Essex Junction)

*awaiting minor league assignment

NCAA Collegiate Head Coaches: 

Castleton: Ted Shipley, head coach (NVU-Lyndon alum);

Eastern Connecticut: Brian Hamm, head coach, (Middlebury College alum)

Fairfield: Bill Currier, head coach, Essex (UVM alum);

Manhattan College: Mike Cole, head coach (UVM alum);  

MIT: Andy Barlow, head coach, Burlington (UVM alum);

NVU-Lyndon: Reece Tanguay, head coach, Essex (NVU-Lyndon alum); 

Norwich: Frank Pecora, head coach, former Northfield High coach; 

Saint Michael's: Jim Neidlinger, head coach, former Middlebury College assistant;

Stetson: Steve Trimper, head coach, former UVM assistant;

Wentworth: Steve Studley, head coach (Castleton alum);

NCAA Collegiate Assistant Coaches: 

Ball State: Nick Swim, BFA St. Albans (Castleton), baseball operations;  Castleton: George Buteau, Burlington (Saint Michael's), Aaron Smith, Middlebury (Castleton); Coast Guard Academy: Eric Degre, North Country/ former Lake Region coach;  Colby-Sawyer: Tom White (former NVU Lyndon head coach);  Dartmouth: Cam Curler, Vergennes (Castleton); Keene State: Cagney Brigham, Enosburg (Castleton), Eric Libardoni, Brattleboro (Saint Michael's);  NVU-Lyndon: Sam Matthews, St. Johnsbury (Lyndon), Andre Eason, Jr. (NVU Lyndon), Nate Stewart, North Country (NVU Lyndon);  Middlebury: Mike Phelps (Castleton), Devin Hayes, Vergennes (Castleton);  Norwich: Mike Czok, Spaulding/former Randolph coach, Leland Goodenough, Randolph (Norwich); Saint Michael's: Matt Meunier, BFA St. Albans; Southern New Hampshire: Zach Labarron, Mt. Anthony (SNHU).