[A.G.]

We can talk all we want about his school's level of competition--the young man has had a phenomenal year.

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Vaden excels on mound for Colonels

By Ted Allen
Lynchburg News & Advance
May 19, 2006


ALTAVISTA - If he ever gets into a tight spot on the pitcher's mound, Altavista senior Chase Vaden can turn to his father, former NBA official Donnie Vaden, for inspiration.

"He's a role model for me," Chase Vaden said. "With pressure situations, I can always talk to him because he has reffed in the NBA Finals (in 2002) and that's a lot more pressure than having to pitch in a Dogwood District game."

Donnie Vaden, who played baseball at Lynchburg College, served as an NBA referee from the time Chase was born. This year, he moved into a supervisor position, which has allowed him many more opportunities to watch his son pitch.

"I think he's more of a baseball fan than a basketball fan," Chase Vaden said. "He's seen every game but one or two this year, whereas in the past, he would only be able to see three or four games all season."

And he's witnessed the Colonels' best season in years, capped by Wednesday night's 6-1 victory at Chatham, the defending Dogwood District champion, that clinched their first district regular-season title in nearly 50 years.

Vaden, a 6-foot-4 southpaw who will pitch for Liberty University next year, threw 98 pitches in a complete-game one-hitter, raising his record to 5-1, and struck out nine to bring his season total to 99.

"He's been our workhorse on the mound for the last three seasons," Altavista first-year head coach Jason Kilbourne said. "He's logged a lot of innings.

"He's kind of thrived in tough situations on the mound. In crucial spots in certain innings ... he's going to bear down as hard as he can to make us successful."

Kilbourne, who took over for Scott Johnson this spring after coaching Vaden when he was an eighth-grader on the JV squad, has kept him on a flexible pitch count this season.

"He's gotten over 100 at times," Kilbourne said. "Having worked with Chase for a number of years now, I trust his judgment. He knows what his arm feels like and he's been very honest about that. If he feels like he's getting tired, I'll take him out. If he feels he can go another inning ?"

Vaden threw close to 150 pitches, striking out a school record 21 batters, in an 11-inning win at Nelson County earlier this year. He didn't finish that game, as Trey Finch relieved him in the ninth and picked up the victory.

Vaden and Governors counterpart Brian Saunders combined for 33 strikeouts in that game, with neither getting a decision.

"Brian Saunders throws a lot like me but he throws a slider instead of a curveball," Vaden said.

The two pitchers have met several times throughout their career, including in the first round of the Dogwood District tournament in 2004, with the Colonels recording a 6-5 win that enabled them to advance to the Region B tourney.

They have already clinched a regional berth this year, by virtue of their first district title since 1957, and will face the winner of Monday's game between Gretna and William Campbell in Wednesday's Dogwood District semifinals.

There's no question the pitching staff, led by seniors Vaden, Finch, Cory Wooding and Trae Travis and backed up by senior catcher Elisha Nicosia, has carried the Colonels this season.

"Pitching was definitely our strong suit coming into the year," Kilbourne said. "We had a few injuries in there that affected our rotation, but the guys are healthy now and it's a great time to be healthy going into the district tournament."

Vaden, who currently boasts a 5-1 record with an area-best 0.60 ERA, has been the ace of Altavista's staff for three years after experiencing a growth spurt between his ninth and 10th grade years.

"I went from 5-6 to 6-2 in less than a year," Vaden said. "I had arm trouble in ninth grade because I grew so fast and my muscles didn't develop in time."

By the 10th grade, he was throwing his fastball in the low 80-mile-per-hour range and now it's in the upper 80s, which makes him a rare commodity as a southpaw.

"I don't have to throw as hard (because) left-handers tend to have more movement on their fastball and curveball," Vaden said.

"Being left-handed and being 6-4 and having a lot of movement certainly has a lot of advantages," Kilbourne added.

Last summer, Vaden played on the American Legion Post 16 South team, coached by LU pitching coach Randy Tomlin, the former LU and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher. Tomlin was so impressed with Vaden that he offered him a partial scholarship this past fall.

"(He liked) that I'm a competitor and that I'm not afraid to throw inside to batters," said Vaden, who throws three primary pitches - the fastball, curveball and changeup. "I try to keep them off-balance.

Kilbourne says Vaden's mental game is even sharper than his physical delivery.

"He handles himself on the mound and he understands the game, for the high school level, it's unbelievable," he said. "He's extremely intelligent baseball wise, and in the classroom. He's a very good student as well. Whatever he gets involved in, he does it to win and to the best of his ability."

His rapport with his catcher, Nicosia, has enabled him to thrive. The Vadens welcomed Nicosia into their home and he has lived with there during the week since the summer before their sophomore year. They spend quite a bit of time in the back yard, where the Vadens have a batting cage with a pitching mound on the side.

"I've pitched with him since eighth grade," Vaden said. "We're kind of like brothers. We know what to throw in certain counts. We pretty much think the same baseball wise. He's a vocal leader."