Alumnus Carlton Steele '79 to Be Inducted to MASCAC HOF on April 18
Steele is regarded as one of Westfield State’s greatest all-around athletes
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WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State University baseball will recognize the induction of alumnus Carlton Steele '79 to the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Hall of Fame with a pre-game ceremony on April 18 when the Owls host Framingham State in a doubleheader at Hagan Field. First pitch is set for noon.
Steele was a member of Westfield State's inaugural athletic Hall of Fame class in 1994.
Steele is regarded as one of Westfield State's greatest all-around athletes. He was a standout in baseball and soccer for three years, volleyball for two years, and also played varsity basketball for a year.
The talented outfielder was a second-team All-American and first-team All-New England selection in 1975 when he batted .372 with eight home runs and 26 stolen bases.
The two-time all-conference selection was drafted by the Boston Red Sox following his junior year in 1975. He graduated in 1979 following his minor league career that saw him advance to the Double A level.
In the minor leagues, Steele was a New York-Penn League All-Star selection while playing for Elmira in 1975. Elmira won the league championship in 1976 when Steele batted .305 with 45 stolen bases.
He batted .286 with 49 stolen bases at Winter Haven in 1977. In 1978 he hit .246 with 29 steals for Eastern League champion Bristol. Injuries cut short Steele's promising professional career in 1979.
Steele played professional baseball alongside many future members of the 1986 Red Sox World Series team, including Wade Boggs, Bruce Hurst, and Rich Gedman.
At Westfield, Steele was named the soccer team's most versatile player in 1973 and 1974. He was a member of two NCAA Tournament teams in soccer and one in baseball. In volleyball, he was a captain and All-New England performer.
He was a 2007 Inductee to the Springfield Public Schools hall of fame as a 1972 graduate of Springfield Tech.
The MASCAC created the Hall of Fame to provide the recognition of those individuals who have made a significant contribution to the conference and to help preserve the storied history of the MASCAC and its member institutions.
Steele joins 10 other Westfield State alumni, coaches and administrators in the MASCAC Hall of Fame, which began inductions in 2018. Longtime NHL Head Coach Peter Laviolette '86, track and field national champions Cindy (Sturm) Menard, Claudine (Rice) Poplawski and Marlee Berg-Haryasz, men's basketball standout Russell Thompson, coach Jerry Gravel and coach John Kurty and his 1974 men's soccer team, and administrators Paul Bogan and Mickey Curtis were previously tabbed for induction.