SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 21, 2026) – Western New England baseball first-year Tyler Waterbury has earned honors as the Conference of New England Player and Rookie of the Week over four games, hitting .579 at the plate, leading the Golden Bears to three wins. 

Waterbury opened the week with three hits in six at-bats against Nichols College, collecting a home run and four runs batted in. Waterbury also made five plays in the field at his native shortstop position. The Danbury, Connecticut, native continued the week with four hits over six at-bats in a non-conference win over Elms College, picking up a double, a home run, and three more RBIs for Western New England in the victory. Waterbury led the Golden Bears in their CNE weekend sweep over Curry College, going 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and a stolen base in the first game of the doubleheader, while finishing the week by going 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, earning another double and a walk, and made six putouts in the field, leading the Golden Bears to 4-3 and 8-2 wins on the road. 

Waterbury is hitting .368 this season over 95 at-bats, collecting 15 extra-base hits (9 doubles, 4 home runs, 2 triples), and has 25 RBIs on the season, second-most on the team. Waterbury earns conference Rookie of the Week honors for the third time this season, while this week's Player of the Week is his first selection of the year. 

WNE baseball is back on the diamond for four more games this week, hosting Suffolk University on Tuesday, April 21, at 3:30 PM, traveling to Clark University on Wednesday, April 22, at 3:30 PM, and hosting Gordon College for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 25, beginning at 12:00 PM.