SPORTS

Twomey, Barker headed to DI programs

By ALEX SPONSELLER
Posted 12/7/22

Two Pilgrim athletes signed their National Letters of Intent to compete in Division I sports at a recent ceremony, as softball standout Alyssa Twomey committed to nearby Providence College, and …

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SPORTS

Twomey, Barker headed to DI programs

Posted

Two Pilgrim athletes signed their National Letters of Intent to compete in Division I sports at a recent ceremony, as softball standout Alyssa Twomey committed to nearby Providence College, and baseball pitcher Colby Barker committed to Merrimack College in Andover, Mass.

Twomey is one of the top players to come through the Pilgrim program and had an electric 2022 campaign. She finished the season with a 13-3 record in the circle and boasted a 0.55 ERA in a competitive Division I field. She racked up 168 strikeouts in 102.2 innings pitched.

Twomey was also a force at the plate, batting .373 with seven home runs and a .949 slugging percentage.  She was named All-State and All-Division for her season, which guided the Pats back to the playoffs. She was later named the Gatorade Player of the Year.

Being close to home was a major factor in her decision to join PC at the next level.

“I knew that I wanted to be close to home and I toured the school and I loved everything that they had for the athletes on campus. My parents will be able to come to my games and it’s a great school overall,” said Twomey.

With her final high school season coming up this spring, Twomey will be focusing on playing with an edge and letting her talent help her take another step forward in her play.

“Confidence is a huge part. I’m confident in myself but I know my confidence can grow a lot more. I just really have to work on that and assert my dominance on the mound. That gets away from me a little bit so I need to do that and know my team has my back. Hopefully we can pull of a championship,” said Twomey.

Barker had a breakout season last year and also helped Pilgrim return to the playoffs.

As the team’s ace, Barker went 5-3 with a 2.38 ERA his junior year. Barker recorded 54 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched. He also hit .351 at the plate. His performance led him to All-Division honors.

Barker loved the campus at Merrimack and felt an immediate connection with the coaching staff and team on his visit.

“The coaching staff, the facilities, it was the best fit for me. I knew by the end of my visit and after talking to the coaches and current players that that was where I wanted to be,” said Barker.

Barker is thrilled to be able to achieve one of his long-term goals in life and will be looking to get stronger by the time he arrives in 2024.

“My strength and velocity. I’ll have to get it up there to compete at that level. It’ll be more competitive, the most important thing will be to win. It will be a lot of work,” said Barker. “It’s been my dream since I was 5 years old to play Division I baseball, so now that it is a reality is pretty cool.”

Pilgrim, letters

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