Matt Laverdure will be taking his talents in baseball to Westfield State University, where he will be a member of the Owls pitching rotation for the upcoming 2019 season.

With an outstanding junior year season, Matt was named a DCL All-Star, which meant he was one of the best pitchers in his division. Matt strives to become one of the best pitchers in the division, and knows hard work is a key factor.

“I never envisioned myself going to play college baseball. I started playing baseball in middle school and felt I didn’t have a chance to play for the freshmen team. After my successful sophomore campaign, I realized playing college baseball is a realistic goal,” Laverdure said.  

He credits Max Silverman, his former baseball captain, for telling him to stay motivated and to always have a drive for more. Staying hungry and determined for more is what made Laverdure realized that he could believe in himself, and work hard for anything.

During his sophomore year, Laverdure realized he had a special talent, and his hard work paid off, as he continued to show he was capable of playing college baseball.

Laverdure was the starting pitcher against Lincoln Sudbury’s top-ranked team. He went six innings, shutting out one of the best teams in the state as a sophomore.

After a stellar 2017-2018 season where he went 3-3, 40 innings pitched with an outstanding 1.12 ERA, Laverdure had offers from different schools ranging from Division 2 to Division 3. Westfield intrigued Laverdure the most.

“Westfield State is a powerhouse baseball team in the Northeast, and it has a very good criminal justice program, which I am interested in pursuing in the future. I talked to the Coach Bashaw, and he told me that I could be an impact[ful] player my freshman year. I want to be an impact[ful] player on a competitive team,” said Laverdure.

As being named for a captain of the team his senior year, Laverdure doesn’t have a lot of pressure on his shoulders.

“I feel like I have pressure to work with the team during the offseason to ensure us being all ready for the upcoming year. We need to stay motivated and remember our success is based on how hard we work. During the season, I don’t feel any pressure, because I know we will compete to the best of our ability, no matter who were are playing. We don’t fear any team we play, and coach instills confidence in us that we can beat anyone,” Laverdure said.

With that being said, Matt’s goals for this upcoming year is to make playoffs.

“I feel if we hit the ball, we will become a powerhouse, and I also feel like our pitching is one of the best in the state,” Laverdure said.

Laverdure’s’ advice to anyone who does not believe they can achieve anything, especially on the diamond,

“Don’t stop working hard. If you continue to work hard, you can achieve things you never thought you’d be able to” Laverdure said.