Six Golden Bears Earn All-CCC Baseball Accolades
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (May 16, 2023) – The Western New England baseball team landed six of their own on the CCC All-Conference list, as announced by the conference office this afternoon. Two WNE baseball student-athletes were named to the All-CCC First Team, one was named to the All-CCC second team, and three followed with All-CCC Third Team accolades.
All-CCC First Team
Starting pitcher Kevin Hummer lands on the All-CCC Team for the fourth time in his career and garners All-CCC First Team for the third time overall. Hummer made 12 appearances for the Golden Bears this season, toeing the rubber for 11 starts. Overall, the graduate student recorded a 5-2 record, throwing two complete games for the Golden Bears. Over 66.2 innings pitched, Hummer gave up 70 hits and 35 runs, 23 earned, while giving up 20 walks and struck out 50 on the season. Hummer stands in the top ten in the WNE baseball record books in innings pitched, strikeouts, appearances, and games started. Hummer dots a 3.50 ERA over his career with WNE, which included 234.0 innings pitched. Hummer earns All-CCC First Team as a starting pitcher.
Sophomore CJ Willis earns his second All-CCC recognition in his career after also being named CCC Rookie of the Year a season ago. Willis picks up All-CCC First Team awards for the first time in his career this season after batting .370, collecting 64 hits, 26 for extra bases, while dotting 52 RBIs on the year. Willis smashed the Western New England single season and career home run records as a sophomore, dotting 13 home runs in 2023 and collecting 27 career home runs, ten more than the second most in WNE's program history. Willis smashed 12 doubles on the year, collecting one triple and picked up 52 RBIs, totaling 100 for his two years with WNE. Willis stole 19 bases during the season and fielded to a stout .980 fielding percentage, making 308 put outs for the Golden Bears. Willis earns All-CCC First Team as a first baseman.
All-CCC Second Team
Junior Jared Kuryan was named to the All-CCC Team for the first time in his career, earning All-CCC Second Team in 2023. Kuryan made 12 appearances on the mound for Western New England on the season, making eight starts, the first time starting for WNE in his career. Kuryan tossed 52.1 innings during the season while collecting a 3-1 record, while recording one save during 2023. The Madison, Connecticut native gave up just 49 hits and 30 runs, 20 earned, while walking 20 and striking out a career best 48 during the season. Kuryan pitched against the top teams in the CCC, including Salve Regina University and Endicott College. Kuryan's3.44 ERA was second best amongst starters for the Golden Bears. Kuryan earns All-CCC Second Team as a starting pitcher.
All-CCC Third Team
Western New England saw three earn All-CCC Third Team awards, including senior Paul Villecco, who earns his first accolade of his career. Villecco has a career year in nearly every statistical category, including games played, at-bats, runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBIs, stolen bases, and batting average. Villecco dotted a .303 batting average this season and held an 11-game hitting streak during the season. Villecco exploded for back-to-back four RBI games against Dean College (April 26) and Brandeis University (April 27). Villecco would then follow that up with a 3 RBI outing against CCC opponent Gordon College in a 4-3 win for WNE. Villecco cracked eight doubles, five triples, and five home runs during the season while grabbing 36 RBIs for WNE. The Cheshire, Connecticut native registered a .961 fielding percentage for the Golden Bears, earning 76 put outs and 98 assists, while rolling 24 double plays, which WNE finished ranked third in NCAA Division III in total doubles plays and fifth in double plays per game in the nation. Villecco earns All-CCC Third Team as a second baseman.
Kohtaro Shimada also earned his first All-CCC accolades this season, playing in 41 of 42 games for the blue and gold in 2023. Shimada collected 131 at-bats for Western New England, grabbing 37 hits, seven doubles, and 22 RBIs. Shimada hit .282 on the season and had six games of two RBIs or more during the season. The Woburn, Massachusetts native went 2/3 with a run scored and five RBIs against Wentworth Institute of Technology (April 11) in a huge 17-3 win for the Golden Bears, leading the team to victory. In the field, Shimada collected a .983 fielding percentage, recording 267 put outs and 27 assists while catching 14 of 43 runners stealing behind the dish, a near 25% rating. Shimada earns All-CCC Third Team as a catcher.
Junior Cody Waterbury earns All-CCC Third Team awards after hitting .338 at the plate, collecting career highs in hits, runs, doubles, triples, home runs, and RBIs. Waterbury's 15 doubles rank tops on the team and number one in the CCC. Waterbury's five triples also ranks tied for first on the team and tops in the conference. Waterbury's .338 average sits second on WNE and 14th overall in the conference. Waterbury made 37 put outs in the field while assisting on 70 outs for WNE. Waterbury earns All-CCC Third Team as a third baseman.
The Golden Bears wrapped up the 2023 season with a 25-15-2 record, their most wins since the 2018 season. The Golden Bears finished 10-5-1 at Trelease Park while taking 11 games on the road in 2023.
