L to R: Josh Blair, Jeremy Tanguay, Mike Molta, Sean Ahern (Photo submitted)
WESTFIELD – It was a chilly morning last Saturday at Westfield State’s Alumni Field, a far cry from the warm weather we were treated to earlier in the week.
In fact, the only warmth present on the diamond that morning were the arms of Westfield State players, most notably senior Josh Blair and freshmen Jeremy Tanguay, Mike Molta and Sean Ahern – four players who will likely decide the fate of an Owls team predicted to finish second in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference this season.
“This team has the most talent and is one of deepest we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Assistant Coach Fred Perry said in between hitting pop fly’s for his outfielders. “We’ve got some freshmen who are really producing right now.”
None more so than infielder Jeremy Tanguay of Huntington, who was leading the team in batting average (.533), while sitting second on the team in hits with 16, and tied for third on the team in total bases with 19.
The former Gateway Regional star has made quite a first impression in non-league play, most notably a masterful performance against regional foe Elms College of Chicopee, where he went 4 for 4, hitting an RBI double that would prove to be the game winner for the Owls.
While his stats indicate a well-rounded player that certainly had his fair share of suitors coming out of high school, Tanguay chose to remain close to home to continue his baseball career.
“Sometimes it feels like I never left home,” the soft-spoken freshman said.
When asked what his biggest asset to the team was, Tanguay gave a response that has become the mantra for this upstart crew of Owl freshman.
“I work hard and play my game,” Tanguay said. “The rest of the freshmen are doing that, too. Our chemistry is coming together.”
Of the numerous freshmen who are working hard and playing their game, none is doing so with the versatility of Mike Molta, a multi-tool player who has done a little bit of everything for the squad.
Listed as a third-baseman/outfielder on the team website, Molta has also contributed to the Owl’s pitching staff, starting two games on the mound for Westfield, in which he has struck out 15 and posted an earned run average of 0.82.
Almost as unique as Molta’s game is his personal story.
Born in Springfield, Molta lived in Southwick till he was 5, when his family moved from the Westfield area to the island of Nantucket, where his father had a job.
“He was commuting from Southwick to the island for work everyday,” Molta said. “It was hard for us, so we moved there when I was young.”
Though Molta lived on the island and graduated from Nantucket High, his heart has always been in the Westfield area.
“When people were coming to the island for vacations, we would leave and go back to Southwick,” Molta said, laughing at the irony. “It’s my favorite place to be.”
To compliment his skill on the mound, Molta has also posted a quality .938 fielding percentage, making him a valuable defensive piece to the Owl’s MASCAC championship puzzle.
Rounding out the area diaper dandies is Sean Ahern, a 6’5” pitcher from Westfield High who has shown promise for the Owls in limited action so far in this young campaign.
Brought in from the bullpen during spring break in Florida, Ahern posted a 3.00 ERA, giving up two hits and striking out five batters in his lone performance.
When asked of his outlook on the season, the former Bomber gave an honest, positive assessment.
“Everyone cares on this team, our chemistry is great,” Ahern said. “We’re all working hard and playing our roles.”
When asked of how he’s working on his pitching, Ahern was quick to give credit to the veterans on the staff.
“I would definitely say that Mess (Aaron Messier) and Sif (Brett Siflinger) have really shown me how to work hard, in the gym and in practice.”
Ahern also sang the praises of Westfield ace Roman Mondalto, a senior southpaw from Amesbury who turned in an All-MASCAC season last year, and whose repertoire of pitches includes a nifty cutter and a nasty slider, both of which he has been tutoring Ahern on this season.
While the freshmen have been getting lots of attention, one would be foolish not to acknowledge the presence of senior Josh Blair. He’s been a pillar of consistency and leadership for the Owls the past two years, and was selected as a team captain this season, along with his babysitting duties in the infield for the plethora of freshman in Owl blue this season.
After spending his own freshman year at the University of Massachusetts, Blair transferred to Westfield to return to the varsity diamond under head coach Ray Arra, who has been an institution in Westfield baseball for decades.
When asked what would be needed to win this season, Blair gave a short and sweet reply.
“We need to win as a team,” the 6’4” first baseman said, “We have a very young team, with lots of freshmen starting all over the field. But it’s the fact that we have guys that are willing to play anywhere. That’s huge for us.”
Blair brings to the game a strong bat (.308 average with 12 hits and 6 RBI in the first 13 games), a good defensive presence (.976 fielding percentage) and great intelligence. (He’s set to attend the New York Institute of Technology graduate school). Add it all up, and it appears that choosing Blair as a captain was among the easiest decisions Arra has had to make this season.
“Blair is going to have to give us a lot of RBIs this season,” the veteran coach said. “He has developed a long way. He really has a great game.”
In regards to the freshmen, the skipper gave a standard wily response.
“They’ll decide how good they want to be,” Arra said through a mouthful of sunflower seeds. “If they continue to progress, we’ll have a very good season.”
While anyone who is familiar with Coach Arra knows he is difficult to please, the Westfield State graduate (’65) has been very encouraged by the work ethic of his team.
“We had a day off a little while back, and the whole team came out for a workout,” Arra said, “Work ethic is what separates good teams from great ones.”
