Alex Lafayette gets a high-five from coach Fred Perry after a home run in Winter Haven, Fla. in 2018. (Photo courtesy of Westfield State University Sports)
WESTFIELD – Westfield State alumnus Alex Lafayette ’18 (Ludlow, Mass.) is enjoying a solid start to his professional baseball career, as he is leading the Saranac Surge of the Empire Professional Baseball League in home runs this summer.
Lafayette, who was an all-MASCAC and All-New England designated hitter for the Owls, while also earning Academic All-America honors, rapped a pair of home runs in a win last week. For the year, he has played in 24 games, and is hitting .292 with seven doubles and four home runs and a team high 20 runs batted in. After graduating from Westfield, Lafayette pursued a series of professional tryout camps before catching on in the Empire League.
Many of the current Westfield State Owls baseball team’s players are also active this summer. Locally, first-baseman Sean Moorhouse and pitchers Vincenzo Camera and Patrick Jordan have played for the Westfield Starfires in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.
Owls starting pitcher Shane Bogli recently caught on with the Bristol Blues in the FCBL, and pitched the Blues to a win over the Starfires just this past weekend. Catcher-outfielder Nick Martin has been playing for the Worcester Bravehearts in the FCBL as well, and was recently named the player of the week in a league that features players from Division I, II and III baseball as well as top junior-college players.
Among the Owls pitching staff, Trevor Edwards is playing in the Tri-County league, while Ryan Murphy is in the Cranberry League. Mike Vitolo plays for the Wallingford Storm of the Connecticut Collegiate league.
Outfielders Michael Cruz and Jacob Butler are in the Tri County league, catcher Bryant Dana is with the Wakefield Merchants in the Intercity League in eastern Mass, infielder Casey Boudreau is playing with the Shrewsbury Dirt Dogs in the Central New England Baseball Association. Zach Graveline and Damien Maniscalco are both playing out their final year of American Legion baseball in Connecticut.
Westfield State won the MASCAC regular season and a tournament titles in the spring of 2019 and made its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. – Courtesy of Westfield State University Sports
