LIVERMORE FALLS – The essence of baseball is the one-on-one duel between pitcher and batter, and few players in the Mountain Valley Conference have won more of those duels over the last three years than Livermore Falls’ Mike Chamard.

This year, Chamard will learn first-hand, reluctantly, what it’s like to be on the other end of those duels.

A four-year starter, Chamard will be taking the mound for the Andies this year. He hasn’t pitched since middle school, but as a senior, he feels a sense of duty to his team and his coach, Brian Dube.

“I don’t want to do it but I’m going to do it for him and for the team, hopefully help my team win,” he said. “I’m going to help my team out whatever way I can. If I have to pitch, I’m going to pitch.”

“He hasn’t had a lot of experience on the mound. I asked him to help out and he’s taken the ball and he’s given me what he’s got,” Dube said.

Chamard got a boost of confidence when he threw three scoreless innings in preseason against Brunswick.

“I thought I was going to get crushed. I did something right I guess,” he said. “I just need to work on getting ahead of hitters and work on hitting the mitt.”

A shaky outing Monday in the Andies’ season-opener against rival Jay won’t dissuade Dube from sending Chamard to the hill again.

“He needs a little work on his mound presence and cutting down on the amount of pitches he throws, but I think he’s got the potential to win some ball games once he gets settled in,” Dube said.

“He can play any place,” he added. “He’s one of those guys that you love to have because he can do just about anything you ask.”

He can certainly hit.

The tall and slender Chamard takes a thinking-man’s approach to hitting, so it’s no surprise that he’s hit over .400 every year of his high school career. He has the ability to hit to all fields, rare for a high school player, and hits for power, a major asset in tiny Griffin Field.

“When I go to the plate I think about where the gaps are and going with the pitch,” he said. “If I get any type of good contact, I’m just going to drive it. I just need to relax when I get up there and not try to kill it.”

Chamard was one of the few offensive weapons on a team that struggled to score runs last year.

The senior is optimistic that if he gets some help from the rest of the Andies’ lineup, Livermore Falls could be dangerous.

“All we have to do is hit the ball and we’re going to go a long ways, I think,” Chamard said.

If they take his lead, Chamard may be right.

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