On Oct. 20, senior James Statler announced that he will be furthering his academic and baseball career at Raritan Valley Community College via Instagram.
Statler took on a much bigger role than expected last year for the Blue Devils, totaling 21 innings pitched and striking out 25 batters. His resilience on the mound played a huge part in Westfield’s sectional title run. Coming off a 20-7 season, Westfield looks to remain at the top of the Union County Conference.
Statler’s four impressive innings in the sectional championship against Ridge highlighted an impressive 2025 campaign. He took big strides each year to reach his current play. “My game has always been a mystery; it’s either really good or really bad for a long time. But over the past season, I believe I have become very consistent and have shown improvement in games,” Statler said.
After a breakout in his junior year and a strong summer season, Statler chose to call Raritan Valley home. “Raritan Valley was a great fit for me for many reasons,” he said. “They have a really eager and growing baseball program; they have been on the rise over the past few years with coaching and program success.”
Raritan Valley, located in Branchburg, NJ, competes in the Garden State Athletic Conference, a part of the National Junior College Athletic Association.
Going to a Junior College isn’t always a popular choice among athletes; however, Statler feels it sets him up for the most success moving forward. “[Junior college] offers a large scale to transfer out to continue playing. I know I will play and improve over these next two years to land me a roster spot at a better school after my two years,” he said.
Head coach Jay Cook has high expectations of what Raritan Valley is getting out of Statler. “I think they’re getting a competitor. Somebody who is going to go out there each inning and get after hitters, and somebody who loves the game of baseball,” he said.
Approaching his final season for the Blue Devils, Statler looks to build off of a strong junior season and help out the Westfield pitching staff once again.
