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2024 New England High School Team Previews

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2024 Spring Team Preview: Hamden Hall (CT)

HAMDEN, Ct. - A one-two punch on the mound has Hamden Hall confident about winning a third-straight New England Prep School regular-season league championship.

“The program has been very good the last 20 years,” noted fifth-year head coach Brad Chernovetz, who was mentor at Career High School in New Haven for 17 years before coming over to Hamden Hall. “I was lucky to get the job and to be able to keep the tradition going.”

With Gavin Lyons and Logan Charboneau pitching, the Hornets are looking at another big season ahead after finishing 19-7 a year ago, losing in the league tournament finals to Brunswick.

“These two kids have been a huge success in helping get kids into the program to build it to where it is now,” Chernovetz said.

Lyons, the 115th-rated senior right-handed pitcher in the country, is the staff ace with Charboneau, the 10th-ranked junior first baseman in the nation, a solid number two hurler for Hamden Hall. Lyons is a Texas commit ranked second among 2024 players in New England, while Charboneau is a UConn commit who is rated sixth in the New England 2025 class.

“I like our pitching staff a lot with Gavin the leader and Logan number two,” pointed out Chernovetz.

Nic Scillia, an uncommitted sophomore getting Division I looks, and Ryan Lynch, a senior left-hander, give the Hornets additional arms to count on.

“Those are the top four on our staff, but we have eight we will use,” Chernovetz noted. “Gavin has a 93 mile-an-hour fastball that will blow you away. He has a funky motion and, if you’re lucky enough to get on base against him, he has an unbelievable pickoff move. He picked six off last year.”

Charboneau and Lynch will play first when not on the hill with Scillia at second after Carlos Reyes was lost for the season with an ACL injury.

Sophomore Amato Civitello, the fifth-ranked 2026 shortstop in New England, will be at short with the Connecticut recruit joined on the left side of the infield by Billy Cole at third base. Both will also pitch, with Cole moving to short when Civitello is on the mound.

“He has great hands and a great arm,” Chernovetz said of Civitello. “He was our closer as a freshman.”

Brady Chernovetz is a four-year starter behind the plate.

“He has shut down the run game of opponents,” Chernovetz said of his son, an uncommitted senior getting D-I and D-II looks. “He’s a tremendous defensive catcher. He struggled with the bat last year until the playoffs when he hit over .500.”

Will McGarry will move from left field to center this season with Nick Criscuola in left and Charboneau or Eric Jagielow in right.

“He won five games for us last year with his bat,” Chernovetz said of McGarry, a senior for the Hornets.

Defense is an area the Hamden Hall head coach has praise for this season.

“We’re strong up the middle at catcher, shortstop and right field,” Chernovetz noted. “The top five bats are also tough to go through. If we can just get some depth at the end of the lineup, we’re going to be really good.”

It adds up to another strong season for the Hornets.

“When you’re playing us you’re playing a team that’s well prepared and does things right on the field and off,” Chernovetz said.

With that one-two punch on the mound, confidence is at a premium.

“The key is if Gavin can do what he’s done for us the last two years, he’s 26-0 on the mound,” Chernovetz said. “He can eat up innings, throw strikes and he keeps the pitching count down.”

Experience is another strong suit.

“This is the first time I’ve had five seniors starting,” Chernovetz said. “Senior leadership should be a huge plus for us.”

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