The Day loves to do stories on baseball players with connections to southeastern Connecticut high schools, Avery Point, and the Mystic Schooners. With Russell playing one semester of baseball at Avery Point, this story is a natural for The Day.
Lots of good stuff in this article. For instance, Russell did not start pitching until his senior year of high school in Glastonbury. It also includes Russell transferring from UConn after his first semester so he could play one season with Avery Point, and then transferring back to UConn to play in Storrs. Russell is very effusive on the coaching he has received along the way, especially from Roger Bidwell and pitching coach Jeff Clark at Avery Point. Also, Russell came to UConn as a walk on, and never received any scholarship money. That is not really a surprise, but it is a bit stunning considering how he just blossomed this season.