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2022 New England High School Team Previews

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2022 Spring Team Preview: Champlain Valley

HINESBURG, Vt. - Davis Mikell has one main objective in his first season as head coach at Champlain Valley.

“I want to continue the winning tradition,” pointed out the 26-year-old coach, who was an assistant a year ago under Tim Albertson, who led the Redhawks to four state titles in 13 seasons. “I’m fortunate for this opportunity.”

After back-to-back state championships in 2019 and 2021 (with no season in 2020), Mikell understands the task at hand.

“There’s no pressure on me as a coach, we already have plenty,” noted Mikell about taking over the program at his alma mater. “I just want to bring the best experience to everyone on the team. I want to highlight weaknesses and bring their game to the next level. You can take that into life.”

Oliver Pudvar and Ryan Canty headline a pitching staff that returns its top four hurlers with Braeden Jones and Jared Anderson also back. Pudvar, the top-rated senior left-handed pitcher in Vermont and a Manhattan commit, also plays outfield while Canty, also a senior, will see time at first base and infield. Jones, a Massachusetts-Dartmouth signee and the top-ranked 2022 right-handed pitcher in Vermont, bats from the left side and will be at first base when not on the mound with Anderson, the number two senior right-handed hurler in the state, a third baseman in addition to pitcher.

“They can all throw the heck out of the ball,” Mikell said. “Jones with the fastball, Pudvar a lefty, Canty has three good pitches and Anderson finds a way to get outs. Having those four as a coach is nice, but I have others that need innings.”

Junior Jack Richburg is the only other pitcher back that had innings a year ago for a team that returns all but 2.2 innings pitched last season.

A trio of position players - Asa Roberts (.389), Tyler Wuthrich (.286) and Angelos Carroll (.264) - are others highly regarded by the new head coach, who as a player at Champlain Valley helped the Redhawks to consecutive state titles his junior and senior years in 2012 and 2013.

Roberts, a junior catcher, only struck out five times in 39 plate appearances last year while Wuthrich, a left fielder inserted into the lineup late a season ago, brings speed and a high IQ on the base paths according to Mikell. Carroll, the two-hole hitter, will move from second base to shortstop this campaign.

“The cool part about last season is these guys were hungry and enthusiastic coming off of no season in 2020,” Mikell noted. “I guess they were really excited about the chance to play.”

The first-year head coach is hoping that carries over to 2022.

“Our strength is the three-headed monster of Canty, Pudvar and Jones,” Mikell said. “They bring serious issues for teams. They combined to go 15-1 last year.”

Canty was 5-0 with a 1.50 ERA, Pudvar 6-1 with two saves and a 0.58 ERA and Jones 4-0. Additionally, Canty batted .333, Pudvar ,292 and Jones .404

Most coaches would be happy to have the concerns Mikell sees heading into this season, despite losing the likes of Ryan Eaton, the leading hitter at .459 and a Manhattan commit now at Bridgton Academy, Kyle Tivnan, Sam Morse and Hunter Whitman to graduation.

“The hardest part will be finding time to give guys since we’re returning so many players,” Mikell explained. “We can have great players that won’t have a spot on the team to fit in and develop for years to come.”

For this year it does not bode well for the opposition, however, as Brattleboro found out a year ago in the state finals, losing to Champlain Valley 13-0 in a game Pudvar was perfect through five innings and finished with 18 strikeouts.

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