Reservoir seniors Matt Russell and Gavin Metrick first played together in sixth grade on the same Howard County youth program team. They both were injured at the time, so they only played one weekend that season together.
Six years later and still close friends, they bring different personalities to the diamond. Russell is a fiery and confident competitor, while Metrick also exudes confidence, albeit in a quieter way.
“We’re like the yin and yang,” Metrick said. “Sometimes he’ll go silent, and I’ll be the talkative one. We find a nice balance between the two, where we can be successful on the team.”
Each player’s four-year journey within the program differed. Russell entered a freshman with the bravado of someone who wanted to hit the ball as far as he could each at-bat and throw every pitch as fast as possible. Meanwhile, Metrick always had aspirations to play Division I baseball.
Both players grew immensely since then, starting with their first varsity seasons as sophomores. Russell trusted the Gators’ coaching staff and continually matured each season, while Metrick put in a lot of work both in the weight room and on the field.
Those diverging paths have converged at the top of Reservoir’s pitching rotation this season, forming a dominant one-two punch. Their roads will continue together at Towson University next season.
“They’re best friends, but they’ve had two different roads to where they are now,” Reservoir coach Adam Leader said. “I feel like they both are guys that feed off each other. I think the fact that they’re going to college together, it’s really cool. Best friends, two different ways of getting there, but they both got there, which is pretty awesome.”
Both Russell and Metrick underperformed on the mound last season, each posting an ERA above 5. Leader, who prides himself on not sugarcoating things with his players, was brutally honest with both after the team’s regional semifinal loss to Montgomery Blair.
He referenced their dreams to play Division I but also explained he couldn’t call up Division I programs and share those stats. Russell and Metrick left those conversations with a renewed motivation and drive heading into their senior seasons, also reminding their teammates of the frustration they felt after that defeat.
“It was a long road this offseason,” Russell said. “Both of us talked about maturing a little bit and trying to be more positive rather than negative at times. Last year, I think we were both centered around just throwing hard. I think that again, was a maturity thing. Our numbers pitching-wise weren’t great. This year, we’ve put an emphasis on getting ahead, throwing strikes. I think that is a thing we’ve matured in, and I think that’s helped us a lot.”
Those conversations sparked a change, and the tandem has been virtually unhittable this year, leading the team to a 9-1 start. The Gators’ pitching staff and defense have been the backbone of the group, allowing an average of 1.8 runs per game, including five shutouts. Russell has 39 strikeouts and a .808 ERA in 26 innings, while Metrick’s struck out 36 and has a .356 ERA in 19 2/3 innings.
They also joined rarified air as just the fourth and fifth pitchers to toss a no-hitter in program history, which dates back to 2002. Metrick threw an immaculate 6 2/3 no-hit innings against River Hill on April 9 and Russell came on to preserve the final out. Six days later, Russell no-hit Quince Orchard with another dazzling performance in a 3-0 win.
“We worked really hard all offseason,” Metrick said. “We put a lot of time and dedication into this program and this sport. It’s really cool to see everything pay off.”
While both guys are equally effective on the mound, they orchestrate their pitches in different ways. Catcher JJ Castonguay is also becoming more comfortable in adjusting to their contrasting styles, specifically pitch framing and blocking.
“Matt is more random when he’s pitching,” Castonguay said. “Really, he’s throwing dice, whatever he wants to do, it’s going to happen. Gavin’s more precise. Everything he’s going to do is going to be the same every time. He’s going to throw the same pitch in the same spot and just blow it by you. Matt is just out there having fun. He’s going to beat you, but he’s going to have fun doing it.
“It’s really nice to know that I can have confidence that they’re going to throw strikes. We’re going to have a great game. They’re going to go at least six innings, and we just don’t need to worry about the bullpen at all. We just know that they’re going to lock it down every game.”
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