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2026 New England High School Team Previews

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2026 Spring Team Preview: Champlain Valley (VT)

HINESBURG, Vt. - Nicky Elderton has led Champlain Valley Union to 40 wins in his three years at the helm and with a solid number of returnees, this year’s squad appears ready to bring more success to the program.

“Our program is built on culture, consistency, and player development,” explained Elderton, who has a 40-15-1 record in his time as head coach, including a 9-8-1 mark a year ago. “We want to teach the game the right way, play with toughness and discipline, and develop young adults to represent themselves and their school well, both on and off the field.”

With five important pieces back from “a young group that grew a lot over the course of the spring and played its best baseball late in the year,” Elderton is hopeful the 2026 team can take a step up from 2025.

Tommy Barnes, a senior committed to Dean College, earned Vermont Metro Baseball League honors at second base a year ago and is back. Riley McDade, another middle infielder, also returns along with Ryan Wood. McDade, the second-rated senior right-handed pitcher in Vermont, is a Husson University signee while Wood led the team in RBIs last season with 17.

Additionally, Quinn Vincent and Andrew Nunziata are back ready to provide innings on the mound. Vincent, the 19th-ranked junior third baseman in New England, led the team in innings pitched last year with 38 while Nunziata, the top-ranked junior RHP in Vermont, fanned 38 in 28 frames. 

“Our strength should be our returning experience in meaningful games, especially on the mound and up the middle,” noted Elderton, who led Champlain Valley to its sixth state championship in school history in 2023 and a runner-up finish a year later. “We also have players who now understand what varsity baseball in our league looks and feels like and that should hopefully benefit us come the season.”

All-state outfielder John Deyo and Daniel Tuiqere, who was honorable mention in the Vermont Metro League, are key losses from the 2025 squad.

“The group has been working tremendously hard with offseason workouts,” Elderton said. “All of the work should put each player in a good position to have an impact for our overall goals this season.”

While there are key returnees from last season, there are also others looking to earn jobs.

“There are potentially a number of newcomers that could have a big impact on the season,” Elderton noted.

No matter who is on the field, the fourth-year head coach understands what needs to be done. 

“The biggest keys will be throwing strikes, playing clean defense, and finding more consistency offensively,” Elderton explained. “When we pitch it well and defend, we give ourselves a chance against anybody. If we can pair that with timely hitting, we’ll be in a good spot.”

Although Champlain Valley has made nine appearances in the finals since 2003, the realization is that success never comes easily.

“Division I baseball in Vermont is always competitive,” Elderton concluded. “There aren’t any easy games on the schedule. Our expectation at CVU is always to be playing meaningful games at the end of the season. With only 14 regular season games this season (from 16 in years past), each game will be that much more meaningful.”

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