It’s hard to believe that the season is half over, but the excitement is about to get started. The Westfield State men’s baseball team stands at a current 12-9 record and is still alive in the playoff hunt sitting at 2nd place in the MASCAC standings. The Owls are currently two games behind Bridgewater State (14-6), but the Owls have an edge with a favorable second-half schedule. The icing on top is a chance to control their own destiny by facing Bridgewater State for their final 3 games of the season. This team has the resilience and skill to finish this season strong and get into the tournament.
Led by Head Coach Nathan Bashaw, the Owls will look to take home their 3rd MASCAC Championship in 4 seasons. Under the guidance of Coach Bashaw and his staff, the Owls have started to establish a winning culture for the baseball program. As a result, the Owls entered this season the favorites to win the Championship, according to the 2022 MASCAC Baseball Pre-Season Coaches Poll. The Owl’s next 3 games against Worcester State (9-9) start this Thursday at home. Westfield then has a doubleheader on the road the next day against the Lancers.
After losing the last two games, the Owls will look to get back in a groove this week at home. Having built championship teams in the past, Coach Bashaw and his team have the experience to get our guys back on track. The overall balance of this team is something that should be respected around the league. The biggest strength of this Owl’s team is the ability to put up points, currently sitting 1st in the MASCAC with 24 home runs and 2nd with 120 runs batted in. Westfield currently holds 4 players inside the top 20 for hitting in the MASCAC rankings. Backing up their elite hitting ability, Westfield has 3 players inside the top 10 for extended hitting according to the MASCAC rankings.
The Owl’s pitching unit should be feared due to the quality talent and depth at the position. According to MASCAC stats, Westfield State Owls have 3 players inside their top 10 rankings for pitching. The Owl’s fielding has been another strength of this team and has 5 players inside MASCAC’s top 21 rankings. These all make up the ingredients for a successful and dominant team. This team has another half of the season to go but looks to finish strong and build off these strengths to take them the distance. So be sure to come out and support your Owls at home this Thursday at 3:30 pm. GO OWLS!
