Westford has never had someone who has played in the World Series, but it can lay claim to one young man who made his collegiate version of the Fall Classic.
Sophomore Connor Murphy faced two batters in the Division III World Series for Baldwin Wallace College earlier this year.
Those batters came in a 11-5 elimination loss to Southern Maine, the last of seven appearances over his 2014 collegiate campaign.
A former Grey Ghost, Murphy found a different level of baseball at his new school in Ohio, although Westford helped prepare him for what he saw there.
“Being on the Grey Ghosts, obviously the schedule we play is very good against teams like Acton(-Boxborough) and Lincoln-Sudbury,” said Murphy. “That obviously prepared me going into school. I don’t know what high schools are like in Ohio, but I went out there with who I faced in a good spot.”
In addition to year-round training at Baldwin Wallace, Murphy also had to adjust after a high school career where he featured heavily at first base.
That transition continued back home this year as Murphy hurled for the Central New England Baseball Association’s Westford Willows in June and July.
“Being on the Willows, that definitely helped me out. I focused mainly on my mechanics,” said Murphy. “It was definitely good competition. Was it as good as Ohio? I’m not sure, it was about the same. But the Willows were a good team.”
While Murphy hopes to head back to the College World Series next year and perhaps try out for the prestigious Cape Cod League, which has started numerous major league careers, his main goals for 2015 are slightly more down-to-earth.
“I’m basically just focused on doing my best,” he says. “(Just) getting out there and winning a few ball games.”
Murphy’s full 2014 Baldwin Wallace stats are available at the BW Yellowjackets homepage.
