Palmer, Bessette Garner MASCAC Honors
Westfield State University baseball’s Sam Palmer (Medfield, Mass.) and John Bessette (Andover, Mass.) picked up weekly awards from the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference on Monday.
WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State University baseball's Sam Palmer (Medfield, Mass.) and John Bessette (Andover, Mass.) picked up weekly awards from the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference on Monday.
Palmer was named as the league's player of the week for the second straight week, while Bessette was selected as the circuit's rookie of the week.
Palmer batted .471 (8-15) for the week ending on Sunday, March 10, with a double, triple, home run, five RBI, a walk, two stolen bases and five runs scored along with a .824 slugging percentage and .500 on-base percentage in a 3-1 week for the Owls. He went 4-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a stolen base in the 9-2 win over Capital. Was 2-for-5 with a triple, stolen base and two runs scored in the 5-4 setback to Penn State-Behrend and added a hit and two RBI in the 5-3 win over Gettysburg.
Palmer leads the team in hitting at .406 clip for the season, with six extra base hits, eight runs scored, and seven runs batted in. He has also made two appearances on the mound, recording a save and an 0-1 record.
Bessette, a first-year student at Westfield State, tallied at least one hit in three of the last four games, batting .333 with two RBI and three runs scored in a 3-1 week for the Owls. Also converted on all 16 fielding chances for a 1.000% fielding percentage. Went 1-for-2 with a walk and run scored in the 6-3 win over Capital. Was 2-for-3 with a RBI, walk and two runs scored in the 5-3 win over Gettysburg.
Bessette has been pressed into duty at short early in his career as the Owls are battling several injuries across the lineup. So far this season he is hitting .261 with four runs scored and two rbi, and added five walks for a .393 on-base percentage.
Westfield State is off to a 6-3 start on the season under first-year head coach Seth Kaplan. The Owls are currently in the midst of their spring break trip to Vero Beach, Fla. The Owls will next face Lasell University on Wednesday at Lawnwood Park in Fort Pierce.