Remembering E. Longmeadow's first Western Mass. baseball champs

Date: 6/14/2010

June 14, 2010.

EAST LONGMEADOW -- It was 25 years ago this month that Head Coach Ron Knowe (top left, second row) led East Longmeadow High School to its first ever Western Massachusetts Baseball Championship in 1985.

The Spartans entered the tournament field as a dark horse having clinched a playoff spot in the final week of the season, but they scored an upset road win over top-seeded Wahconah, which included future major leaguer Turk Wendell, in the opening round. The Spartans then defeated Greenfield and Mount Greylock en route to the title.

The members of the 1985 team would like to thank Knowe for his dedication to baseball in East Longmeadow and especially for his coaching genius that enabled our team to overachieve in June of 1985. The echoes of what you taught us then can be heard on the diamonds today as we teach our boys and girls about this great game. Thanks Coach!