Massad enjoying banner year at U.S. college

By Mark Ribble

LEAMINGTON — Leamington’s Aidan Massad is having a stellar season on the mound for the Alderson Broaddus University Battlers.

Massad has been with the Division II team since 2018, when he led the team with a sparkling 1.80 ERA in eight appearances.

The product of the Leamington District Minor Baseball Association is a Junior at Alderson Broaddus, where he is studying exercise science, with minors in strength and conditioning and psychology. His focus is on physiotherapy.

Massad made the All- GMAC conference academic team as well.

This year, he’s on track for a breakout year as he takes the mound for the Battlers, where he’s currently sporting a 3-0 record.

He scored a no-decision in a March 20 loss to Charleston. Since then, he’s mowed them down regularly, posting strikeout totals of five, 10 and 11 in his last three starts — which were all wins.

Massad’s ERA sits at 1.59, despite carrying the bulk of the workload for the team’s starting pitchers. He’s logged just over 22 innings of work so far and his 33 strikeouts leads the team in that department.

While he left his start in the first inning this past Saturday with shoulder soreness, Massad hopes to bounce back quickly.

Leamington’s Aidan Massad on the mound for the Alderson Broaddus Battlers.

Photo courtesy of Aidan Massad

He credits his local coaches with allowing him to develop and teaching him finer parts of the game.

He mentioned Chris Lamotte as being instrumental in teaching him the game. “Chris was my coach for most of my minor baseball career,” he said.

He also gives credit to Don Morris, Aaron Howell, Kevin Paradise and Tony Simone, who all had a hand in shaping his baseball acumen.

As for the fight with COVID, Aidan says the college is handling things quite well down in Philippi, West Virginia. Their normal spring start in February was postponed until March as they dealt with COVID issues, but he says it’s normal COVID-related precautions, similar to this area.

“We wear masks in practice and on the bench,” he said.

As for the future, he’s had contact with a few independent baseball teams and has talked with people from the Intercounty Baseball League about getting some playing time there.

He’d like to also continue his education.

“College ball has given me an opportunity to have my schooling paid for,” he said. “As a graduate student, I could be a graduate assistant coach and that would help me pay for graduate school.”

He hopes to return to the Leamington area this summer, to spend time with his friends and his parents, Troy-Ann and David. But baseball will always call him back.

“I’m going to keep playing until someone tells me I can’t anymore,” he said.