#vthsbaseball Championship preview

     The final weekend of the Vermont high school sports season is upon us with 12 titles on the line across 3 venues and 3 days (Friday-Sunday).  The baseball finals have become a tradition at Delta Dental Diamond at Centennial Field, and the 2026 games feature all 4 top seeds advancing with a split between the 2 and 3 seeds.  So, what are the main storylines to look at and who might be the players to watch in all 4 title games?  Here's my look at the 2026 Vermont high school baseball championship games.

D4:  Mount St. Joseph's/Mill River vs. Blue Mountain (Friday @ 6:30PM)

    For the 6th year in a row, the Blue Mountain Bucks will be playing for the D4 title Friday night.  They'll be looking to finish off the state's first 4-peat in 25 years against an MSJ squad that hasn't won a title since 1949 (MRU, who co-ops with the Mounties, won a title in 2014).  The Bucks defeated Proctor 3-2 to make the final while Mount St. Joseph's knocked out Hazen 8-2 to make their first title game appearance since the Minutemen's last title.

D3:  Bellows Falls vs. Thetford (Saturday @ 11AM)

    The Thetford Academy Panthers are in their third D3 championship game in 4 years.  In their first of those appearances (2023), the state was introduced to Xander Oshoniyi, who flirted with a no-hitter en route to that year's championship.  Now as a senior, Oshoniyi and Thetford are looking to make it back-to-back titles and finish one of the state's most impressive runs.

    Bellows Falls is looking to spoil the fun and win their first state baseball championship since 1999.  Coach Lockerby already has a football state championship this school year, but a win on Saturday would be the perfect ending to a perfect year.

D2:  Lyndon vs. Mount Abraham (Saturday @ 2:30PM)

    Two years ago, in one of the most surprising conclusions to a game you'll ever see, the Mount Abe Eagles seemed to have won the D2 state title.  That moment would be overturned as the team celebrated too early and a runner was ruled out for leaving the basepath.  Their rivals Middlebury would win the game in extras and jubilation turned to heartbreak for Mount Abe.

    Now they are heading back to Centennial with a chance at redemption and their first title in 10 years.  Their opponents will be Lyndon Institute, who had a great defensive performance against Otter Valley to get here.  Keep an eye on Abe Ready for the Eagles and Logan Wheeler for the Vikings as they have played pivotal roles for their teams all season.

D1:  Mount Anthony vs. Essex (Saturday @ 6PM)

    Whenever I think about this matchup, I go back to the year 2002.  These two schools faced off in the D1 title game that year with my brother being part of the Essex team as a statistician.  It went into extra innings with Josh Santerre hitting the walk-off home run to give the Hornets the title.

    The 2026 Essex baseball team needed that same moment to get to Centennial with Alec Davis playing the hero role on Tuesday.  In an amazing pitcher duel between Jacob Laroche and Colchester's Vinny Wagoner, it was Davis (on a hit and run) driving home the winning run against the Lakers to get them to the title game for the first time since 2022.

    Meanwhile, Mount Anthony is in the same spot as Thetford:  3 title game appearances in the last 4 years.  Unlike the Panthers, the Patriots have gone 0-2 in those games with last year's matchup against St. Johnsbury likely on the mind of those who were there.  MAU knocked off CVU in the semifinals to make it back to Centennial.

Vermont High School Baseball predictions

     In less than 2 weeks, Vermont high school seniors will be walking down the aisle to grab their diplomas and head off to new and exciting opportunities.  For student-athletes, they hope to grab one more piece of hardware before their high school careers are over:  a medal and championship trophy.

    In Vermont high school baseball, anything can happen.  We have seen top seeds fall early and high seeds make it to Centennial Field.  We'll see games take place in the morning and others determined at night.  It should make for some exciting action and dramatic moments.

    But who will come out from all 4 divisions?  Here are my thoughts.

Division 1:

    The Essex Hornets may be the most complete team in Vermont high school baseball.  They have multiple pitchers who can carry them through 6-7 innings (J. LaRoche, B. Barber, S. Bent).  They have hitters who can get on with their speed or power.  The only team that has played them close all season has been Colchester (2 1-run wins).

    The problem:  if they want to get back to Centennial, they have to get through the Lakers squad led by Jackson Pecor and coach Tom Perry, still look for the elusive baseball title (football claimed the 2025 championship in the fall).

    The bottom half sees CVU as the favorite to make it back to the championship game.  Mount Anthony is #3, but most of their games have been against southern teams from other divisions or out of state.

Final:  Essex 5, CVU 2

    Oliver Lawrence powers the Hornets to their first title since 2022 in a grueling matchup with the RedHawks.

Division 2:

    If you're looking for a magic number in the D2 baseball tournament, it might be 6.  That seed has made the title game the last 3 seasons.  This year's #6 is Middlebury, who knocked off Mount Abraham to claim the 2024 state title.

    BTW, the Eagles are the #1 seed and have one of the state's best hitters in Abe Ready.  But as we've seen in the past, anyone could pull off an upset and make it to the final.  However, the way Otter Valley has played in 2026, it would take a perfect game (maybe not an actual one) to stop them in the bottom half of the bracket.

Final:  Mount Abraham 4, Otter Valley 3 (8)

    Eagles get the walk off win and claim their first title since 2016 while also avenging their 2024 loss.

Division 3:

    Over the last 3 years, White River Valley has made the trip to Centennial Field but came up empty.  2 of those 3 years were against Xander Oshoniyi and Thetford Academy.  The 1 difference had to be in 2024 when the schools were matched up in the same half of the bracket and the Wildcats knocked off the Panthers in the semifinals.  In 2026, that same scenario could play out as WRV are seeded 5 while TA are 1 of 2 undefeated baseball teams remaining in the state.

    The bottom of the bracket is led by Bellows Falls, who have been so close to the title game having been a top-4 seed 4 of the last 5 years.  Can the Terriers finally break through and make it to Centennial for the first time since 2016?

Final:  Thetford 2, Bellows Falls 0

    Panthers repeat as champions by shutting out the Terriers.

Division 4:

    Imagine coming in as a freshman and seeing one of your school's teams make it to the title game every year.  It has happened in many sports (Soccer, Basketball to name a couple), but it's pretty rare in baseball.

    Blue Mountain has not only made the title game the last 3 years but have won it each year.  That includes against West Rutland in 2025, a matchup that would take place in the semifinals in 2026.

    The bottom half of the bracket has Mount St. Joseph's and Leland & Gray (another school who the Bucks have defeated in the final over the last 3 years).  The Green Wave last made the title game in 2014 and neither school have won in D4 (MSJ=3 D1 titles in the 1940s; L&G=D3 win in 2010).

Final:  Blue Mountain 5, MSJ 1

    Green Wave ends their title-game drought, but the Bucks use their pitching and defense to complete 4-peat.

Costly Errors, heads up baserunning helps Essex to home-opening win

     In a game where runs became a minimum and pitchers from both the Essex and Colchester baseball teams got out of multiple jams, it would take one swing of momentum to decide the home opener at Ferrera Field for the host Hornets.

    Catcher Oli Lawrence delivered that swing to open the bottom of the fifth inning and, with the help of miscues from the Lakers defense, score the winning run for a 4-3 victory, handing Colchester their first loss of 2026.

    The score was 3-3 after 1 inning of play as a combined 17 players batted in the opening frame (8 Lakers, 9 Hornets).  The first batter of the game (Colchester's Jackson Pecor) caused some concern for Essex after outfielders Chris Morgan and Jacob Laroche (who threw a no-hitter Thursday @ BBA) collided on a fly ball to left.  Laroche was slow to get up with a knee injury but would stay in the game.

    Both Essex's Bryce Barber and Colchester's Vinny Wagoner (and John Luter in the 4th) would keep things even through the fourth.  After the Hornets got a double play to end the top of the fifth, Lawrence would start the bottom of the inning with a leadoff single.  He would go first to third on a wild throw by Luter and score on an error by the catcher.

    Sam Bent would come in to get the final out in the sixth and pitched a perfect 7th to close things out for the Hornets.

Other scores:  SJA starts the season 0-2 with losses to South Burlington (10-7) Thursday and Rice (2-1) on Saturday...CVU starts the 2026 campaign with a 22-1 (5) win over Rutland...Mount Anthony (2025 D1 Runner-ups) fall to Burlington 2-1 on Saturday...Colchester softball scores 5 runs in the seventh to pull away from Essex 13-6.

News:  Essex High School activities director Jeff Goodrich informed me today that he is retiring after the 2026 school year.  During his over 30-year tenure at the school, Goodrich was a social studies teacher, assistant principal and athletic director.  He also coached the boy's basketball program to two state championships:  1 as an assistant coach under Rob Reardon in 1998, then as the head coach in 2010.  Goodrich will remain active in retirement, which does include continuing as chair of the VPA Bass Fishing committee.

Slaters Bowling repeat in thrilling comeback

    On Sunday, Fair Haven teammates Aiden Goyette and George Stamp capped off the individual tournament at Rutland going head-to-head.  In the end, it was Goyette who took home the title with Stamp finishing runner-up.

    In Barre on Saturday, when they were needed most, coach Joe Donaldson knew who to call upon with the final tied up at 2 games apiece versus #1 seed Randolph and game 5 ending tied at 204-204.

    At the end, they delivered, striking out in the roll-off and capping off a decisive game 6 as the Slaters become the first bowling team since 2019 to go back-to-back as state champions.

    Here's a look at the remainder of the tournament from round 1 at 9AM to the final match.

Round 1

    In the first round, Craftsbury Academy faced off with White River Valley while Burlington and Brattleboro met in the other match.  WRV swept CA but only won by 1-pin in game 4.   BHS had to go an extra game against the Bears, but they were able to advance to the Quarterfinals.

Quarterfinals

    Randolph, Essex and Fair Haven swept their matches in the QF round against BHS, South Burlington/Colchester and WRV respectively.  Meanwhile, Windsor and St. Johnsbury split the first four games of their match before the Hilltoppers took the last 2 games to advance to the semifinals.

Semifinals

    All 4 teams split the first two games in their respective SF matchups (RUHS vs. EHS; SJA vs. FH).  In game 3, the Hilltoppers knocked off the Slaters by 1 pin only for Fair Haven to take the next 3 (going over 200 in each match) to advance.  Essex tried to keep things close and won game 5 in their match, but the Ghosts were just too much for the Hornets as they were knocked out in the semifinal round for the second time in three years.

Championship Match

    In the final match, Randolph got out to an early advantage while Fair Haven looked like it was starting to come undone, wondering if they were going to fall short in their repeat bid.

    Down 0-2, Coach Donaldson had a lengthy chat with his team, motivating them and the Slater crowd at Twin City Lanes to bring the energy for the rest of the match.  In addition, FH made a change to their lineup, adding Reagan Stamp (sister of George and Maddie) and JW Adams-Sliva to bowl the first and sixth frame.

    The move worked out as they would take the next 2 games prior to the 204 tie and the dramatic strike out from George and Aiden in game 5.  The Slaters would clinch the title 237-189 in the sixth game, becoming the first team since 2016 to sweep the state and individual title in the same season (Windsor).

    The Slaters one-upped their title run in 2024-25 with a perfect 300 and individual champion from the same bowler (Goyette) along with a 2nd straight championship.  With most of their entire crew returning next season, Coach Donaldson is definitely looking for a 3-peat in 2027 and, by all means, should be favored.

6 Things to know before the Vermont High School Bowling championships

     After 10 weeks of thrilling action, tournament time has arrived in Vermont high school bowling.  Before this Saturday's individual tournament at Rutland and the state tournament in Barre on February 28, here are 5 things you should know about the teams involved.

1---Stamps on Fair Haven repeat?

    In 2025, George and Madison Stamp led the Fair Haven bowling team to their first state title since 2022, knocking off 2024 champs Randolph in the finals.  George has continued success in 2026, taking the top spot in the individual standings heading into Saturday's tournament.  Meanwhile, the Slaters' Aiden Goyette made history during the campaign, becoming the second bowler in VT bowling history to get a perfect game (300) in week 3 of the season.  It's been nearly a decade since a school has had an individual champion while also winning the state title, but FH has a great chance to do it in 2026.

2---Randolph revenge incoming?

    The Ghosts are the #1 seed in the state tournament on February 28 and had 4 bowlers finish in the individual top 15.  Sophomore Nathan Luciano tops the group as the #2 bowler during the regular season while helping the squad rack up 30 wins in Baker (team) matches.  Can Randolph make it back-to-back individual winners on Saturday and return to the top on the 28th?

3---St. Johnsbury climbing up.

    The Hilltoppers have been a top 5 team throughout their 3 seasons since returning to the VT bowling scene.  In 2026, St. J finished in the #3 spot as a team and could be on a collision course with Fair Haven in the state tournament.  On January 31, the Slaters swept SJA in the first-place match at SpareTime, but the Hilltoppers were perhaps one pin away from taking one of those games from FH.  What could happen in a best-of-7 series between the two teams in Barre?

4---Essex, SBC battle once more

    For the second time in 3 years, Essex and South Burlington/Colchester will battle it out in the state tournament.  In 2024, the Strikers knocked off the Hornets in 7 games.  Last week, Essex got the best of SBC in their best-of-3 final to clinch the #4 seed in the state tournament, but how will the 2 teams fare in Barre?

5---Dark Horse Jackets?

    Windsor will head into the state tournament as the #6 seed but riding some momentum knowing they can hang with the best.  The Yellowjackets have bowled .500 or better the last 6 weeks of the regular season, including first place finishes in weeks 6 and 7.  Will that be enough to get by St. Johnsbury and make a deep run in the state tournament?

6---A first round surprise?

    In the first round of the state tournament on February 28th, Craftsbury will face White River Valley while Burlington takes on Brattleboro.  While history may not favor the teams playing early (9AM start), we've seen schools in the past go from round 1 to the finals (most notably South Burlington in 2024 when there were 11 teams).  Could history repeat itself in 2026?

    Notes:  2026 will mark the first time since 2022 that the state tournament is being held at Twin City Lanes in Barre (last 3 were at SpareTime)...Top 32 bowlers will make up the individual tournament at Rutland Bowlerama on Saturday...10 VT seniors will face the best bowlers from New Hampshire on March 7 at Maple Lanes in Claremont, NH.

Vermont High School Bowling Rundown

     The weather has gotten colder, but the winter sports season is about to heat up in Vermont.  While most of the coverage is going to involve basketball and hockey locally, my venture for the fourth year in a row will be in high school bowling.  We've seen teams rise to amazing firsts and others continue success from years before.  We've even seen new teams try to make a name for themselves in the sport.  The 2025-26 season begins this Saturday and will wrap up on February 28th with the state championship at SpareTime in Colchester.  Before that, a few notes about how high school bowling works.

    Each match begins with an individual round where all bowlers will throw 2 games to determine their average for the week.  Those averages are totaled and divided by the number of bowlers to get the total average score, which determines each team's placement during the match.  Individual totals are also critical as the top 32 bowlers at the end of the regular season advance to the individual tournament on February 21st at Rutland Bowlerama.

    Once the totals are determined, the teams in the match are seeded for the Bakers round of the match.  Most matches have 3 teams facing off while others have 4.  In the case of 3-team matches, the teams finishing 2nd and 3rd would face off with the winner facing the top seed; in 4-team matches, 1 faces 4 and 2 faces 3 with the winners facing for the win and the losers battling for 3rd.

    The Bakers format is a best-of-3 where each team chooses 5 bowlers to try and knock down the most pins.  In each match, bowler 1 will throw the first and sixth frame, bowler 2 throws the second and seventh frame and so forth.

    In the tournaments, the individual round begins with a bracket-style format determined by the best 2-score averages at the event (regular season averages may determine tiebreakers).  Eliminations continue until the final 4 individuals remain.  From there, it's a stepladder final to determine the champion (4 vs. 3; winner faces 2; winner faces 1).

    The state championship will be a best-of-7 series in the Bakers format.  Winners move on to the next round with the final round determining the state champions.

    As of December 16, there are 10 teams competing in high school bowling for 2025-2026:  Essex (EHS), Burlington (BHS), South Burlington/Colchester (SBC), White River Valley (WRV), Randolph (RAND), Brattleboro (BRAT), Windsor (WIND), St. Johnsbury (SJA), Craftsbury (CA) and defending state champions Fair Haven (FH).  On December 13th, the Ghosts defeated Fair Haven in the Kickoff Classic at Rutland, getting a big of revenge from their 2025 final which saw the Slaters take home the title.

    One final message:  I've gone out to a lot of high school sporting events over the years, and I have seen my fair share of unsportsmanlike conduct.  Sometimes it's from the players but mostly this involves the fans in the stands who are berating officials, opposing players or even their own team.  When I first went to a bowling event (2023 state championship), I saw something that made me feel happy:  the joy from each team not just for their teammates, but for their competitors as well.  If you come out to a match (regular season or tournament), you have the chance to feel that too.  I hope to hear from you all in 2025 (my e-mail is in my X/twitter bio) or see you at the matches.  Until then, peace, love and hopefully a few turkeys or hambones mixed in.

#vthsfootball Why...

...will the D2 championship be the game of the day?

    Of all the Vermont high school football games on championship Saturday, only one involve teams not seeded #1 or #2.  That's Fair Haven vs. Colchester in the D2 final.

    The Slaters come in at #5, but winners of 6 in a row and an upset of top-seed Hartford in the semifinals last Friday.  Sam Kyhill has been the biggest piece of that success, but Cody Adams stepped up big time in Hartford to get them to Munson Field.

    The Lakers have used their Metro division schedule to toughen up at the right time, dominating on D in both wins against Rice and Lyndon to make it to the title game for the 2nd time in 3 years.  Colton Lefebvre's 4 TD passes in the semifinal win played a key role for an offense that has used the running game to find their success all season.

    In the end, these two programs will have to handle both sides of the ball and make key plays late to get the job done.  But how will the Munson turf play in the game between two teams who have had little experience on turf in 2025?  That's what could make this an exciting final and close at the end.

...will the D3 championship game be a low scoring affair?

    In week 8 of the season, Bellows Falls traveled to Woodstock for a game that would decide the top seed in the Division 3 playoffs.  Both teams found success in a high scoring game that went to double overtime before a winner was determined.

    The Wasps would end up winning 60-52 and clinch the #1 seed with other week 8 results going their way.  But it hasn't stopped the Terriers from getting to the final, dispatching of Mill River and MAV in the playoffs to get to South Burlington and the D3 final.

    Meanwhile, Woodstock have shut out each of their playoff opponents (Windsor and Otter Valley) to get to 9 straight wins after an opening week loss to D2 U-32.  

    Top 2 teams in D3 and 2 great offenses going head-to-head with Bazin and Conners for BF against Emery and Oates for Woodstock.  But if you're expecting a similar result from the regular season finale, I have a feeling both teams will push their defense to get better, leading to a lower scoring game on Saturday.  Maybe both teams get to 35 in the end, but I can't see another triple-digit combined performance from these teams just 3 weeks after the first one.

...will the D1 final come down to the passing game?

    Middlebury is one of the most prolific programs when it comes to running the football and finding success with it.  St. Johnsbury has the Palmeri duo (Davis and Vincent) who have pushed their way to a combined 13 TD runs with QB Maddox McFarland adding another 13 on the ground.

    But McFarland also has 13 TD passes and I think that arm will come into play when it's needed most.  While the Tigers D have been able to stop the passing game (Marshall Eddy has 12 PBUs this season), they haven't played against Maddox and SJA this year.  It will be up to the sophomore QB to find his receivers to keep the Hilltoppers in the title game.

    With game time slated for 5PM, it's going to be a chilly night and could lead to more running plays.  But all it takes is one play from a QB to change the complexion of the game.

Okay, one more.

...will this championship Saturday at South Burlington be the best one yet?

    because the support of the fans, the players and everyone at Munson Field will showcase the positive of high school athletics.  As long as everyone keeps a positive vibe on Saturday, every game will deliver and finish with an experience no one will forget.

Thank you, best of luck to all the teams and enjoy the games on Saturday!