Palmer, Phaneuf Named to ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Team
Sam Palmer was a Region II second team outfielder while Andre Phaneuf nabbed a spot on the third team as a pitcher.
WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State senior Sam Palmer (Medfield, Mass.) and sophomore Andre Phaneuf (Westfield, Mass.) both earned spots on the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings Division III All-Region team for Region II as voted on by members of the ABCA and coordinated by the ABCA NCAA Division III All-America & Coach of the Year Committee.
Palmer was named an ABCA/Rawlings Region II second team outfielder while Phaneuf was a third team selection as a pitcher.
Palmer was one of 12 outfielders selected out of the region, finishing the season with a slash line of .380/.471/.577 with 54 hits, four home runs, and 31 runs batted in. He led the team and was fifth in the MASCAC in batting average while holding the team lead in hits, extra base hits, doubles, home runs, on-base and slugging percentage.
He was named to the MASCAC All-Conference first team as an outfielder for the fourth time in his career, playing in 157 games which is the most of any Owls player in program history. He is the all-time leader in runs scored with 163 and produced the second-most hits (196), doubles (36), home runs (27), stolen bases (66), and runs batted in (129) in program history. He is the program's all-time leader with 333 total bases.
In just his sophomore season, Phaneuf received all-region third team honors as a starting pitcher and was one of three MASCAC pitchers selected across the three teams. He finished the year fourth in the conference with a 2.79 earned run average, making 11 appearances and nine starts for a 2-5 record in 51.2 innings pitched. He struck out 50 and walked 21 with a WHIP of 1.30.
Phaneuf delivered several exceptional outings on the mound this season which led to a MASCAC all-conference second team pick as a starter. On March 20, he allowed one run over seven innings against #29-ranked Montclair State to pick up the victory in an 8-3 Owls triumph. He also strung together consecutive starts against Anna Maria and Framingham State where he allowed one unearned run over 13 innings, allowing just three hits while striking out 15.
Both players have been invited to play in the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association All-Star game on Monday, June 1 at 6:00 P.M. from Fitton Field at Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.
Westfield State ended the regular season with an overall record of 16-26, entering into conference tournament play as the fifth seed where the Owls defeated Anna Maria, 12-7 before dropping the next two games in the double elimination portion of the bracket.