As winter clings on in Vermont, Middlebury men’s baseball brushed past Vermont State University Castleton, 7-0, last Sunday, bringing their record to 6–2. Hank Lloyd ’29 threw six scoreless innings, and Henry Ayers ’29 had three hits, his batting average dipping slightly to .680.
“It’s about as hot a start as I’ve ever seen anyone have,” Mike Leonard, the head coach, said about Ayers.
A single from Sam Gersch ’29 brought home the game’s first run in the bottom half of the first. In the second, Castleton struck out twice as both teams went scoreless. Then, in the third inning, the Panthers found their rhythm at bat.
Ayers scored off a fielding error, before a single by Andrew Baay ’29 brought home Gersch (an unearned run because of an earlier wild pitch). Carter Chi’s ’28 triple soon made the lead 4-0, setting up Lloyd to take the mound with a comfortable lead.
“When [Lloyd] is on the mound, he exudes his own type of confidence, and he certainly has a lot of talent,” Leonard said.
Lloyd struck out two in the bottom of the fourth, frustrating a Castleton batter who stormed off angrily, exclaiming words that are not fit to print, before banging his helmet in the dugout. “Why do we even come here?” one of the hitters quipped beneath his breath.
The chilly weather likely exacerbated the Castleton team's icy demeanor. There were not many fans, just a couple of parents and students huddled in the bleachers behind home plate. It was the type of afternoon where the most interesting thing to do was rate the batter’s walk-up songs.
Gus Parker ’27 strolled out to Mary Jane’s Last Dance by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (10/10 song), and then hit a single to drive home Gersch, making it 5-0 for Middlebury. The sixth was Lloyd’s last inning. He struck out his last batter looking, sending his teammates over the dugout fence to congratulate him on his impressive effort: six innings, one run, nine strikeouts.
Ayers notched his third hit of the afternoon in the bottom half of the inning. On Tuesday, he was named NESCAC Player of the Week. After the game, Ayers reflected on his strong start to the season: "I am really sticking to my approach and leaning on the mental side of baseball."
"I definitely worked hard in the offseason, so it's good to see it come to fruition during the spring," Ayers added.
Castleton threatened to upend the order in the eighth inning, loading the bases with two outs, but Christian Zebrowski ’28 worked out of the jam with a strikeout. Dylan Knightly ’26 retired the side in order in the ninth, sending Castleton home with a 5-10 record.
“Let’s Do it Again,” by J Boog started playing over the loudspeakers, the Panthers pouring out of the dugout to sing along — a tradition this season after home wins. Not even the overcast day could dampen this team’s spirits.
“It’s been a ton of fun,” reflected Leonard on the season so far. “That’s the word I keep using to describe this team.”
So far, the Panthers’ campaign has been highlighted by their promising first-year class and strong hitting, producing at least six runs in all but one game. The two losses were against Emory in Atlanta — a team that, thanks to Georgia's mild weather, had already been playing baseball for weeks before Middlebury's season could even begin. Up next, the Panthers head to Florida for spring break to play a string of games and prepare for conference play.
