The Phantoms had a robust 24’ season of baseball; now they look to reboot and continue their dreams of going to Centennial Field. The Phantoms went (12-4) and got first place in the Southern Vermont League. However, they came up short against Leland & Gray in the semifinals 7-4. 

Junior Aaron Brock will be the captain for the Phantoms this year. He plays first base, third base, and  pitcher. He is excited for the season and hopes to have more fun and success with the team.

However, Aaron does have some concerns. He points out that the Phantoms lost five players to graduation. They all played a big role for the team last year. Now that they left, there is less experience in some positions. Aaron confidently states there is “room for growth”. 

The Phantoms also lost pitch runner and center fielder Matt Grover. “I wish we had Matt Grover,” Aaron stated. Because Matt has graduated, Aaron has to play an even bigger role on the base paths. 

Even with his concerns, Aaron is confident that the Phantoms are the best team in D4. ‘West Rutland is a good team, they have been with each other for a while now. Other  than that, I’m not worried about anyone.”

To fulfill his captain role, he has specific dreams: being a leader to the team, bringing the team success on the mound, hitting 3 home runs, throwing at least 1 no-hitter, and bringing the Phantoms past the first round of playoffs.

Senior Xavier Coltey (whom teammate Jarrett Patch refers to as “captain of the outfield”), the center fielder for the Phantoms, said that he is excited for the potential that the team has. “ I think we have the ability, we just need to execute.”

Xavier also wants to bring leadership to the Phantoms in his second year playing on the team. This year, he is looking forward to being able to have a bigger impact with the bat. 

Xavier is comfortable with the pitching staff for the Phantoms. ”Last year our pitching was good, now they had time to work out, and get better.”

Another thing that intrigues Xavier is that they have people stepping up for a role in pitching. Even though the Phantoms have Aaron Brock, and me, there are more people wanting to pitch. With people stepping up, it will take more pressure off of their backs, and at the same time, give people opportunities to pitch. 

Senior Jarrett plays first base for the Phantoms. Jarrett is thrilled for his senior year of baseball, and wants to galvanize his team. “ Some of the older kids are leaders, they can pave the way for the younger kids,” he added.

Jarrett thinks that the depth will trouble the Phantoms.“ We are going to be a broken team at first,” adding with the limited roster that the Phantoms have, it could hurt us. 

Something that shines, in Jarrett’s eyes, is the amount of young talent that the Phantoms have. “Braden Sheehe is a diamond in the rough, he is a ninth grader that plays like a junior,” Jarrett said. 

Freshman Braden Sheehe plays third base for the Phantoms. Braden is excited to play as a team, making sure that the team has a good mindset and team chemistry. 

One thing that Braden thinks that pushes the Phantoms to stand out is the chemistry and the amount of effort they put in trying to pick everyone up. “ We know each other's strengths and weaknesses, and with that, we can prevail. It's our secret card,” Braden said.