BROCKTON, Mass. ---- The Massasoit Community College baseball team put forth an impressive regular season, going 15-1 in league play en route to six players being named to the All-Region XXI team recently announced by the conference.
Four sophomores – LHP Shane Holmes, 1B/RHP Luke Nagle, OF Travis Ritchie and 3B Pat Murray – along with freshmen DH Matt Levasseur and SS David Murphy earned accolades for the Warriors.
#5 Patrick Murray, 3B, Weymouth, Mass.
Murray played a solid third base and hit second for the Warriors for the majority of the season. The sophomore hit .356 (47-for-132) overall and even better in conference games (.415). He finished in the top-five in the league in RBI (37), runs (33), doubles (10), assists (53) and hit by pitches (7). Murray hit safely in 28 of 35 games played and produced 14 multi-hit performances. In addition, the Weymouth native collected two walk-off hits on the season to defeat Northern Essex and Bunker Hill.
#7 Shane Holmes, LHP, East Bridgewater, Mass.
Holmes was one of the most consistent and accurate pitchers in the conference during the 2014 season. The southpaw finished 6-1 with a 2.37 ERA as both his win total and ERA ranked second in the league. Overall, Holmes recorded 50 strikeouts to just eight walks in 49.1 innings pitched and averaged 9.12 strikeouts per nine innings. After losing his first start of the season, he rallied off six straight victories. Holmes finished with two 10-plus-strikeout starts, including 12 punch-outs vs. Northern Essex.
#12 Travis Ritchie, OF, Taunton, Mass.
Ritchie served as the leadoff hitter and centerfielder for the Warriors, posting a .437 batting average, clubbing two homers and 19 RBI. The sophomore led the league in hits (55), runs (46), total bases (79) and triples (6). He also finished third in both on-base (.514) and slugging (.627) percentage. Ritchie hit even better in league games, posting a .462 clip, and hit an impressive .600 (27-for-45) with 10 extra-base hits in home contests. The Taunton native scored a run and had a hit in 28 of 35 games with 18 multi-hit showings. In addition, Ritchie recorded a 17-game hit steak, which he hit .500 (30-for-60) over that stretch.
#15 Luke Nagle, 1B/RHP, Pembroke, Mass.
One of it not the best two-way players in the region, Nagle produced both at the plate and on the mound in his second year with the Warriors. The cleanup hitter posted a .394 batting average along with a 5-2 record on the bump. At the plate he finished fourth in the league in RBI (29) and fifth in hits (55). In 32 games played, he recorded 14 multi-hit games and eight 3-hit performances. On the mound his win total ranked third in the conference. Nagle totaled 40 strikeouts, fourth most in the league, to only eight walks and his 2.51 ERA finished third in the division.
#16 Matt Levasseur, DH, Milton, Mass.
Serving primarily as the designated hitter, Levasseur produced a strong first season at Massasoit hitting at a .386 clip. The Milton native led the conference in doubles (11) and finished fifth in RBI (38) and extra-base hits (12). In 25 starts, Levasseur recorded 11 multi-hit games. The freshman hit even better in league games, going 20-for-45 (.435 batting average) with nine of his hits being doubles and scoring 13 runs.
#8 David Murphy, SS, Plymouth, Mass.
Murphy was the everyday shortstop as a true freshman for Massasoit, hitting .355 with three homers and 40 RBI en route to being named a Region XXI Honorable Mention selection. Murphy's 40 RBI led the conference and was tied for first with Levasseur in doubles with 11. The Plymouth native ranked third in runs (34) and extra-base hits (14) and fourth in hits (44). Murphy totaled 12 multi-RBI and 10 multi-hit games on the season.
