Local players, 25-cent hot dogs, 30th season: What to know about the 2024 VT Lake Monsters

Alex Abrami, Burlington Free Press

The Vermont Lake Monsters will celebrate milestone season of baseball in Burlington this summer.

Fans can start celebrating this holiday weekend.

After kicking off the 2024 season on the road at the Nashua Silver Knights on Friday, the Lake Monsters open a three-game home slate at Centennial Field vs. the Brockton Rox on Saturday night at 6:05. The series wraps on Memorial Day with a special 1:05 p.m. start time.

Founded in 1994 as the Single A affiliate of the Montreal Expos, the Lake Monsters enter their fourth season in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. This summer marks the 30th of Lake Monsters' baseball season (the 2020 year was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Vermont will play 38 Futures League games at home over a 73-day stretch. For more on this year's Lake Monsters, including local high school players and alums on the roster, dates for the 25-cent hot dog nights, read on. The team's full 2024 schedule is embedded below this story.

10 local players on Vermont Lake Monsters' roster

Wyatt Cameron of the Lake Monsters delivers a pitch for Team Lake during the 2023 Futures League All-Star game at sold-out Centennial Field. T
Wyatt Cameron of the Lake Monsters delivers a pitch for Team Lake during the 2023 Futures League All-Star game at sold-out Centennial Field. T

Since joining the Futures League in 2021, the Lake Monsters have been a landing spot for former Vermont high school baseball standouts. This year's roster is no different, with 10 players with local ties on the roster as either permanent or temporary members.

Of note, Wyatt Cameron, Colby Brouillette and Cooper O'Brien are back for another summer, while Zach Davis of Colchester and Nick Young of South Burlington are current high school pitching stars set to join once their senior seasons are done.

The list of Vermonters (college/high school noted in parenthesis):

• Colby Brouillette (Central Connecticut/BFA-St. Albans)

• Wyatt Cameron (Central Connecticut/Middlebury)

• Zach Davis (Bryant/Colchester)

• Evan Dennis (Colby-Sawyer/Blue Mountain)

• Colby Garey-Wright (Augusta/St. Johnsbury)

• Nick Kelly (Fairfield/South Burlington)

• Cooper O'Brien (Colby-Sawyer/Vergennes)

• Matt Safer (St. Michael's/Essex)

• Cole Tarrant (Hobart/Rice Memorial)

• Gabe White (Bentley/Essex)

Fincher named Lake Monsters' manager for 2024 season

This week, the Lake Monsters officially announced that Matt Fincher has been elevated from assistant coach to head coach for the 2024 season, taking over from three-year manager Pete Wilk, who died last month after a 15-month fight with cancer.

Fincher was the Lake Monsters' assistant coach for the 2021 and 2022 seasons before serving as acting head coach for most of last summer while Wilk battled his cancer. Fincher helped Vermont go 38-23 overall and reach the FCBL championship game.

"Ever since Pete's cancer diagnosis we have had a plan in place for Matt to run the ballclub in Pete's absence and he did a terrific job getting us to the playoffs for the third straight year," Vermont Senior Vice President C.J. Knudsen said in a statement. "We had the same plan in place for this season. With the start of the 2024 season campaign, now is the time to officially name Matt Fincher as our skipper to lead the charge and we are so we are pleased to announce that today."

WCAX sister station to broadcast Lake Monsters games

WCAX-TV's sister station, WCYI, will air 15 games this summer, starting with the home opener on May 25.

The games will be anchored by broadcaster George Commo, a 2024 Vermont Sports Hall of Fame inductee. University of Vermont broadcasters Brian McLaughlin, Rob Ryan and Ryan Zimmerman will also help with the call.

The broadcast dates are: May 25, May 27, June 8, June 11, June 18, June 22, July 4, July 6, July 9, July 12, July 19, July 26, July 30, Aug. 3, Aug. 4.

When are the 25-cent 'Hot Dog Hysteria' nights?

A container of six hot dogs, sold for a grand total of $1.50 at the Vermont Lake Monsters baseball game on June 27, 2023.
A container of six hot dogs, sold for a grand total of $1.50 at the Vermont Lake Monsters baseball game on June 27, 2023.

There will be three "Hot Dog Hysteria" nights — 25-cent hot dogs provided by McKenzie Country Classics — at Centennial Field this summer. The dates:

Tuesday, June 18: Lake Monsters vs. StarFires, 6:35 p.m.

Tuesday, July 9: Lake Monsters vs. Road Warriors, 6:35 p.m.

Tuesday, July 30: Lake Monsters vs. Bravehearts , 6:35 p.m.

For more on the Lake Monsters' 2024 promotional schedule, visit the club's website.

2024 Vermont Lake Monsters schedule by Alex Abrami on Scribd

Contact Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont Lake Monsters: Details on 30th anniversary of baseball club

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