Though no trophies were lifted by the Westfield baseball team, the season was nothing to scoff at. The Blue Devils finished with a 19-7 record, reaching the county finals and the state sectional semifinals.
After a close game to open their season taking a 7-6 win over Elizabeth, Westfield had their best start in program history, going undefeated for their first eight games of the season. Their first loss, an 11-4 fall to Summit, started a gauntlet of games over just a week, having to face Summit, Governor Livingston, and Cranford.
The matchup against Cranford proved the resilience of the team, as they came back to win 7-6 in the bottom of the seventh, down by two entering the final half inning. The clash with GL showed their run scoring ability, taking control of the Highlanders with a dominant 12-5 win. “I think a lot of our success this year came because the team was much closer this year than it was in the past,” said senior Tomas Cestero.
An unfortunate loss to New Providence gave them their second loss of the year, but a 10-0 win over Roselle Catholic gave the Blue Devils confidence going into their second matchup against GL. However, the Highlanders prevailed with a 6-3 win, and Westfield had to make changes, especially after an ACL tear unfortunately put an end to senior Mikey Lynch’s season.
Westfield got back-to-back wins before facing Cranford in the semi-finals of the Union County Tournament, possibly the best and most dramatic game for Westfield of the season. After taking a 3-0 lead, Cranford notched five runs in the sixth, but Westfield, down to their final strike, tied it in the seventh 5-5. In the ninth they trailed yet again by two, but senior Kellen Edwards became the hero, bringing home the tying and winning runs, sending Westfield to the UCT final. “My favorite memory from this season was our win versus Cranford. The team picked each other up and we showed a lot of heart,” senior Nic Labin said.
The final was a pitcher’s duel, until the seventh. A 3-0 game became a 10-0 lead for GL in one inning, but the Blue Devils’ resilience nearly did the impossible, scoring eight runs in the seventh, unfortunately coming up short.
Westfield lost back-to-back-games before the state tournament to Scotch Plains-Fanwood and Summit, sealing the fourth seed for the state tournament. Starting out with a 10-0 victory over Perth Amboy, senior Jack Chavez produced one of the best pitching performances of the season, guiding Westfield to a 2-1 win with a complete game over Phillipsburg. Unfortunately the season ended a few days later, as Westfield lost 10-0 to Bridgewater Raritan.
However, the Blue Devils finished with a 19-7 record, with 11 graduating seniors all leaving their mark on the program. “I can’t speak highly enough of them. Seeing them graduate, it’s bittersweet. They’re all very good players, but it is time for the next guys to step up,” head coach Jay Cook said.
Returning rising seniors Grant Como, Jake Alfano, and Brady Tjakovski will give crowds another spectacle next year, as everyone looks to improve for their next season, with state and county trophies as their goal. Cook said, “We’re going to look to rectify the things we need to do to reach those goals.”
