Latest news with #ConnerWestenburg
American Press
3 days ago
- Sport
- American Press
Westenburg earns Gold Glove
Conner Westenburg became the second player in McNeese history to earn a Gold Glove. (Kirk Meche/Special to the American Press) Before the season, Conner Westenburg picked out a brand new glove for his final year. Surprisingly, to all, he picked the color pink. 'I got a little heat for it,' said Westenburg. 'My dad asked if it was for a gender reveal.' The senior centerfielder had a simple response to those who joked about it: 'I told them I planned on getting a different color at the end of the year.' True to his word, Westenburg got his prize color on Wednesday when Rawlings handed out their postseason college honors. Westenburg was named just the second McNeese State player to earn a spot on the American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings Gold Glove team. He joins Carson Maxwell, who was named to the 2019 team as a third baseman. 'I would go look at his glove and say to myself, I wanted one of those all the time,' said Westenburg. 'I feel very honored to have been named to the team. It is a great honor and was a goal of mine.' Westenburg joins Vanderbilt's RJ Austin and UConn's Caleb Shpur in the outfield. He is just the fifth Gold Glove winner in Southland Conference history. 'Conner is one of the best centerfielders I've ever seen, and I have had the pleasure to see it every day,' said McNeese head coach Justin Hill. 'He is so deserving of this, and I'm so happy for him to be recognized as the best in the country.' The news on Wednesday came as a surprise to Westenburg, who still works out in hopes of playing professionally down the road. 'I didn't expect to get it,' Westenburg said. 'There are so many good players out there, you just never know. Then, when I saw I was a finalist, I started to think maybe.' Westenburg had a good year offensively, but was huge for the Cowboys as a defender. He was named to the All-SLC first team and the All-Defensive squad in May. However, to be named one of the best defenders in the country puts the perfect finishing touch to his Cowboy career. 'I have always been a good defender, but I have always worked really hard at it,' said Westenburg. 'I take a lot of pride in playing defense. 'Even if you are having a bad day at the plate, you can still help your team win with big defensive plays and saving runs.' With 134 chances on the year, Westenburg recorded 123 put-outs with only two errors as he compiled a .985 fielding percentage. He also ran down balls in both gaps. 'If it was hit near me, I wanted to do everything I could to make the catch,' said Westenburg. 'Defense is really all about work and effort. You can't control hitting all the time, but you can control defense.' As a hitter, he hit .332 on the season with seven home runs and 33 RBIs. Of those seven homers, three came leading off games, setting another school record. He hit nine triples to rank second in the NCAA, nine doubles, and led the Southland Conference with 27 stolen bases. 'One of my goals at the beginning of the year was to win a Gold Glove,' Westenburg said. 'I didn't see a lot of action my first two years here, but when I got the opportunity, I got out and made the best of it.' And he can now retire that pink glove and replace it with the golden one.
American Press
19-05-2025
- Sport
- American Press
More good than bad
Conner Westenburg had a big senior year for McNeese. (PJ Mitchell/McNeese Athletics) For three quarters of the season, McNeese State was the surprise of college baseball. Not just the Southland Conference, but nationally. The Cowboys were riding a 12-game winning streak with a 27-5 record. They were deep in the race for the Southland Conference title. There was even talk that they could still get a second NCAA Tournament bid if they didn't win the league. However, the Cowboys stumbled down the stretch, finishing 5-12 over the last 17 games and 32-17 overall. They ended up in a three-way tie for third but earned the fifth seed with tiebreakers. McNeese's season ended heartbreakingly with a loss to co-champion Southeastern, which rallied and won in the top of the ninth. It was a disappointing finish to what had been so promising a month earlier. 'We are still figuring out and going over what all happened,' said McNeese head coach Justin Hill. 'We are still processing everything. I can say this, the guys gave me everything they had. Sometimes things happen in baseball.' Injuries to ace lefty Alexis Gravel and reliever Paul Coppinger put an extra strain on the pitching staff down the stretch, as the Cowboys struggled to close out games. 'There were not a lot of easy games all year,' said Hill. 'We played a lot of stressful innings and games. Every game seemed to be close. 'We won a lot of those early and lost a lot of those late.' While the end was tough, most of the season was good for the Cowboys. With many new faces, McNeese played a pretty exciting brand of baseball. They won 30 games for the 10th time in Hill's 12 seasons, with 2020 being cut to just 17 games by COVID. It was the Cowboys' 11th winning season under Hill, so there are a lot of positives as well. 'We had some really good moments this season,' said Hill. 'When we struggled, we ran out of time to fix them.' McNeese had two players earn top league honors. Gravel was named to the Southland Conference's second team. Outfielder Conner Westenburg had a big senior year, earning first-team honors and being named to the Southland's all-defensive team. Westenburg finished with a .322 batting average and nine triples, which is still tied for the lead in the nation. Redshirt sophomore Easton Dowell flirted most of the season with a .400 average before slipping to a team-high .369 at the end. Dowell is one of the Cowboys who had big years after seeing limited playing time in the past. Transfer Larry Edwards topped McNeese in runs batted in with 47 as he came up with more than his share of big hits. The Cowboys now enter an offseason of change with new roster sizes about to go into place.
American Press
13-05-2025
- Sport
- American Press
Worth the wait
Conner Westenburg waited two years to become McNeese's big weapon. (McNeese Athletics) F or two seasons, Conner Westenburg waited and wondered if he would ever get his big chance. He had played in just 29 games, serving mainly as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. Westenburg had just one start and one hit, though he did score 13 runs and drove in a couple. 'I got a couple of chances, but I didn't do much with them,' said Westenburg. 'I didn't really earn more time. I was hoping to get my shot. 'That was tough. Everybody wants to play. Waiting and not playing is hard, but I'm glad I did it.' And he never considered going elsewhere to get it. 'Loyalty is a big deal to me and my family,' said Westenburg. 'From the moment I came to McNeese, I was all about the blue and gold. This is where I wanted to be and wanted to play. Never a doubt.' Westenburg, an outfielder from Porter, Texas, earned his spot in the lineup during fall workouts before the 2024 campaign. 'I just kept working and making things happen when he was out there,' said McNeese head coach Justin Hill. 'It is a tribute to his work ethic and willingness to continue to work and make himself better, and always thinking of the team first.' Hill also understands Westenburg could have left at any time in the world of the transfer portal. 'He is kind of the ultimate kid in that he stayed and benefited,' said Hill. 'I can't say enough good things about Conner Westenburg. He kept working and he turned himself into an all-conference player.' Westenburg started all 59 games a year ago, hitting .296 with 17 doubles, three triples and six home runs. He scored 46 runs and drove in 41 while stealing 20 bases in 23 attempts. This year, the centerfielder has been even better. He is tied for the league lead in triples with nine and was a legitimate Southland Conference Player of the Year candidate late into the season. Westenburg leads the Cowboys with 64 hits, one more than Easton Dowell, as McNeese gets set to open postseason play in Hammond Thursday against Northwestern State. He is second in the league in runs scored at 60. Westenburg leads the conference in stolen bases with 25 in 30 attempts and has a .330 average, up 34 points from last season. He has also hit seven home runs and plays the type of center field that earned him defensive league honors last year. According to one set of metrics, Westenburg leads the nation in runs saved at 18.61, ahead of UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky's second-best 16.44. His nine outfield assists are believed to be a McNeese record. 'Conner is an electric player,' said Hill. 'He gets us going and keeps our energy up, especially how he plays the outfield. He gets to everything out there.' However, Westenburg isn't just a baseball player. With a 3.87 individual grade point average, he won the Rowdy Award for the highest individual grade point average among athletes. Westenburg graduated Monday, earning his degree in general studies. When asked which he was more proud of, the batting average or his GPA, Westenburg wasn't sure if he wanted to be honest. 'I guess the batting average because it leads to wins,' he said. 'But I think they both show how hard I worked, and I'm proud of that. 'I always knew what I was capable of doing; I just had to wait and make the most of my chances when I got them. I think I have done that.' Both on the field and in the classroom, Westenburg has done just that.
American Press
24-04-2025
- Sport
- American Press
Baseball showdown in Texas
McNeese's Conner Westenburg leads the nation in triples with nine. (Photo by Richard Martin/McNeese Athletics) Edinburg, Texas, sounds like the perfect town to host a showdown. It will do just that this weekend when the Cowboys ride into town for a huge three-game series. McNeese State will take on Southland Conference newcomer Texas-Rio Grande Valley with at least a share of first place on the line. The series starts Friday at 6:30 p.m. with an expected crowd of over 4,000 on hand. 'This is exciting,' said McNeese head coach Justin Hill. 'These are the types of games you want to play in and in these types of settings.' The Cowboys enter the series tied with Southeastern for first place with nine games remaining, just a half game ahead of the Vaqueros (26-14, 17-7). McNeese is 29-8, 16-5. SELA will be at Houston Christian for its weekend series against the fourth-place Huskies, who are just two games out. The four clubs are in the chase for hosting one of the two postseason pods. 'This is the time when you have to play your best,' said Hill. 'The team that plays the game better is the likely winner.' Both teams head into the series coming off midweek losses. McNeese fell to Louisiana Christian on Tuesday, while UTRGV fell to Incarnate Word in a non-conference game. 'We have to flush that game quick,' said Hill. 'We have been good all year doing that and getting focused on what is next.' He believes his club will be ready for the challenge. 'This is what you want, to play in this type of series with championship aspirations,' said Hill. 'We have given ourselves this chance, so we have to enjoy it. 'This is going to be a great setting for us to go play in,' said Hill. 'We are excited about the opportunity.' Hill knows it will be the little things that make a big difference in winning games down the stretch. 'These are important games,' said Hill. 'This is the time of year when you have to play winning baseball, clean baseball. You can't give up extra outs and hope to beat good teams.' McNeese will start left-hander Cooper Golden, who is 2-2 with a 5.87 earned run average. He will be facing fellow lefty Victor Loa, the Southland ERA leader at 2.01, and has a 5-1 record in 10 starts. Alexis Gravel (2-2, 3.98) will go for the Cowboys in Game 2 Saturday night against Wyatt Wiatrek (6-0, 3.69). Neither team has announced a starter for Sunday's series finale. 'They have really strong pitching and play the game right,' said Hill. 'This is going to be a tough series.' The Cowboys have been playing relatively clean, having won 15 of their last 17 games, including five consecutive SLC series wins. They have only lost one of those all season. Leading McNeese into the series will be shortstop Easton Dowell. The redshirt sophomore tops the league in hitting with a .414 average and is coming off a huge weekend that earned him Hitter of the Week honors in the SLC. Dowell was 8-for-12 as McNeese jumped into first by taking two of three from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Dowell had three doubles and a home run in the series. Senior Conner Westenburg also had a solid series and tops the conference in stolen bases. He also leads the nation in triples with nine. McNeese even got a boost from the return of Sergio Lopez. Perhaps the team's best pitcher, Lopez, missed four weeks with a non-baseball injury and didn't look like he missed a beat. He got the win Sunday, throwing 4⅓ innings of shutout ball. Lopez may give the Cowboys an extra bullet for this showdown.
