Podcast: Phillips Andover coach Chris Powers on 2023 season

Chris Powers led Phillips Andover to a 14-6 record in his first season. (Andover Athletics)

Phillips Andover’s Chris Powers, who is finishing off his first year as head coach, joined The Base Path Podcast hosts Dan Guttenplan and Matt Feld to discuss the 2023 season.

Powers led Andover to a 14-6 record and third-place finish in the CNEPSBL this season. Most recently, Andover fell to Dexter, 11-1, in the semifinal of the CNEPSBL Tournament. The Big Blue will wrap up their season with Andover-Exeter Day on Saturday, playing a road game in Exeter.

Andover’s ace, Thomas White, expected to be a first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, will pitch for the final time on Saturday. He will be looking to bounce back from a tough start in the CNEPSBL semifinal, when he took the loss.

“He’s a competitive kid, and he wants to put his best foot forward every time he steps on the field, whether it’s pitching, playing first base, or at DH. He expects a lot of himself. As a team, you always want to support your pitchers however you can, whether it’s getting runs early or keeping guys in the field by extending your offensive half of the inning so he can rest and gather himself. I don’t think we, as a group, did a great job of that in the game on Sunday.

“But, as a person, he’s a team-first guy. He wants to do what’s best for the team. If I had said, ‘Thomas, you’re going to pitch one inning and come out,’ he would have been good with that. It’s a terrific trait for him as he continues to grow and moves to the next level of his baseball career.”

Powers replaced Kevin Graber, who presided over New England’s top prep program over the last 12 seasons. Graber accepted an instructional position in the Chicago Cubs minor league system in October.

“I think the idea was I was going to come in and be (KG’s) assistant, which I was really excited about doing,” Powers said. “He and I coached against each other for years and had a good relationship. So, I was excited about that.

“The program’s been tremendous for a number of years, and he did an amazing job building the program and the culture to where it is today.”

Listen to the entire podcast with Andover coach Chris Powers.

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