Canadian Baseball Network College Player of the Week: Matt Ward
May 27, 2024
By Matt Betts
Canadian Baseball Network
Redshirt senior catcher Matt Ward (Mississauga, Ont.) helped Niagara University make school history last week.
The Purple Eagles entered the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament with a 35-15 record, 20-4 in MAAC play, but were chasing their first ever championship.
Tied atop the conference standings at the end of the regular season, they drew Rider in the opening round of the tournament. Ward went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBIs to power his team to a 9-7 win.
With a spot in the championship game on the line against Mount St. Mary’s in Game 2, Ward stroked two hits, walked twice and drove in another run as the Purple Eagles came away with an 8-6 victory and a chance to forever etch their names into the fabric of Niagara baseball.
By the end of the day Saturday, it was mission accomplished.
Leading 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh against Fairfield in the final, the Stags scored five runs to take a 6-3 lead, only to see Niagara plate seven in the top of the eighth.
And they never looked back en route to a 10-6 win and MAAC trophy.
Ward collected two hits, including a two-run home run, and a walk in the championship clinching game.
Niagara will now play in their first regional beginning on Friday.
Matt Ward is the Canadian Baseball Network College Player of the Week for May 20 to 26.
Canadian Baseball Network College Player of the Week
Week 1: INF Simon Grinberg (Kitchener, Ont.) - Keiser University
Week 2: OF Francesco Barbieri (Brampton, Ont.) - Ave Maria University
Week 3: INF Trent Lenihan (White Rock, BC) - University of British Columbia
Week 4: INF Kalem Haney (Lethbridge, Alta.) - University of Mary
Week 5: INF Johnny Vulcano (Cloverdale, BC) - Ottawa University
Week 6: RHP Tyrelle Chadwick (Kamloops, BC) - Illinois State University
Week 7: RHP Sean Heppner (Tsawwassen, BC by way of Point Roberts Wash.) - University of British Columbia
Week 8: OF Carter Beck (Carnduff, Sask.) - University of Mary
Week 9: RHP Ty Schaffer (Cardston, Alta.) - William Woods University
Week 10: OF Payton McHarg (Saskatoon, Sask.) - Washburn University
Week 11: INF Nash Crowell (Yarmouth, NS) - Reinhardt University
Week 12: RHP Carter Krawchuk (St. Catharines, Ont.) - Seminole State Community College (Fla.) and C Logan Grant (Chestermere, Alta.) - Bellevue University
Week 13: C/INF Wyatt Tweet (Russell Man.) - Bismarck State Community College
Week 14: RHP Owen MacNeil (Georgetown, Ont.) - University of Charleston
Week 15: LHP Jackson Soucie (Cambridge, Ont.) - Wabash Valley College
Week 16: OF Tom Poole (Calgary, Alta.) - Dallas Baptist University
Week 17: RHP Kaleb Waller (Drinkwater, Sask.) - Kankakee Community College
Week 18: C Matt Ward (Mississauga, Ont.) - Niagara University