WESTFIELD – While the weather outside has turned bleak, spring cannot be too far away, as the 2020 Collegiate Baseball Division III Baseball Poll was recently released, and Westfield State University was listed as “receiving votes” in the annual poll of the top 40 teams in the nation.
Westfield State finished the 2019 season with 28-16 overall record. The Owls won the MASCAC’s regular season title and the post-season tournament title, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. The Owls picked up a win over Ithaca before eventually falling to Kean (NJ) and Shenandoah (Va.) in the NCAA regional.
Defending national champion Chapman (Calif.) was picked first, and Owls fans will see a number of familiar names in the poll including NCAA Foes Kean (5th), Shenandoah (34th) and Ithaca (36th).
The Owls were listed sixth among teams receiving votes. Worcester State was the only other MASCAC team to garner votes in the poll.
Westfield has squared off against 11 of the teams ranked in the top 40 over the past five seasons.
The Owls return a nucleus which includes junior starting pitcher Shane Bogli (8-3, 2.83 ERA), seniors Casey Boudreau (2B, .345, 8 doubles), Brett Dooley (3B, .259, 24 runs scored) and Jake Gibb (C/DH .277, 25 RBI), along with junior utility man Nick Martin (.331, .420 OBP, 33 runs scored).
Westfield is optimistically slated to begin the 2020 season on February 29 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. Westfield will then have a week-long swing through central Florida for the RussMatt Invitational beginning on March 7. – Courtesy of Westfield State University Sports
