By Riley Crowell
Asst. Sports Editor
On March 23, Framingham lost the concluding game of their spring break trip, bringing their overall record to 0-9.
As of press time, the Rams sit atop the MASCAC, in prime position to make a postseason run.
How, you might ask? A combination of staying confident, trusting the process, and taking care of business in conference matchups.
Sophomore Shane Costello said, “We played tough competition to start, and we knew we’d turn it around once we hit conference.”
Senior Ryan Boyle agreed, saying, “The team has stayed confident after the slow start, because for us, the Florida trip was a challenge, and we knew the competition down there was going to be really good.
“What led to the turnaround was coming back up north and locking in,” he added.
The Rams began conference play on March 30 with a doubleheader against the Bridgewater State Bears.
Framingham lost both games, leaving them with a conference record of 0-2.
That losing trend would not last for long.
The Rams were able to avenge their early struggles against Bridgewater State, handing the Bears an 11-10 loss and improving their conference record to 1-2 on April 1.
This win proved to be the spark Framingham needed, as it was immediately followed by a conference win over MCLA April 9, and a non-conference win over Lasell April 11.
The winning wouldn’t stop there. The Rams stayed hot, taking both games of their conference doubleheader against Worcester State April 14.
Framingham won the first game of their conference doubleheader against Salem State April 15, but lost the second game, ending their six-game win streak.
The Rams wasted no time bouncing back from that loss, collecting a conference win over Worcester State April 16.
Framingham lost a conference game against Westfield State April 19, but quickly got back on track by winning both games of their doubleheader against Westfield State April 21.
The Rams lost a conference game against Salem State April 23.
As of April 26, Framingham held a conference record of 8-5.
Their conference record would quickly improve to 11-5 when they picked up three consecutive conference wins over Mass. Maritime, the first April 26, and the other two in a doubleheader April 27.
The Rams defeated MCLA twice in a conference doubleheader May 2, improving their conference record to 13-5.
Framingham finishes their regular season campaign with three conference games against Fitchburg State on May 3 and 4.
The Rams didn’t win a game until the fourth week of the season, but they currently stand alone in first place in the MASCAC.
This turnaround has been fueled by many strong individual performances. At the plate, nine Framingham hitters hold .300 batting averages or higher for the season.
Boyle, Dane Frellick, and Robert Johnston are all currently top five in the MASCAC for batting average.
Boyle currently boasts a batting average of .411, an improvement from his already impressive .384 average in 2022-23.
“I feel like I have been able to contribute most with my bat this season,” Boyle said.
“I haven’t really changed much. I just try to stick to my approach and I try my best to put the ball in play,” he added.
Framingham players are feeling confident going into the final stretch of the regular season and the postseason.
Costello said, “We feel like we’re in a good place and we have a chance to keep it rolling into the playoffs.
“Expect us to be competitive in every game and give every team a tough game,” he added.
Boyle said, “We are feeling very strong going into the final stretch of the season. All of the guys are locked in and we are hoping to have a fun and successful last week!”