SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 27, 2026) – Three student-athletes this week, Connor Cowern representing WNE baseball, Katelyn Bailey from WNE softball, Quinn Northrop from WNE men's tennis, have been honored with Golden Bear Athletes of the Week, as announced by the WNE Sports Information office on Monday afternoon. 

Cowern struck fire this week for WNE baseball, leading the Golden Bears in two important Conference of New England victories on Saturday afternoon. To open the week, Cowern went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, and two runs scored while making five putouts in the field and assisting on two others against Suffolk University. In a midweek non-conference game at Clark University, the WNE junior collected two more hits over four at-bats, coming away with a double and an RBI in the game, while making another play and adding an assist in the field. The Ashland, Massachusetts, native had his best game of the season in game one of a doubleheader against Gordon College, going 3-for-4 at the dish, collecting two doubles, a home run, and five RBIs in the victory. Cowern made three plays and had six assists over the two wins over the Fighting Scots in the field. For the week, Cowern finished 8-for-16 at the plate, collecting four doubles, two home runs, and seven RBIs, while scoring five runs. 

Bailey was a force to be reckoned with at the plate for the WNE softball team this week, over six games. Bailey picked up six hits over 12 at-bats, including three extra-base hits, and came away with three RBIs for the week. Bailey opened the week by collecting a pair of hits in a Conference of New England doubleheader split with the Bison of Nichols College, contributing a double and an RBI, while scoring a run in the second game of the afternoon, a 6-1 win for the Golden Bears. In a road conference split for WNE at Endicott, Bailey helped push Western New England to a win, belting her second home run of the season, while staying patient at the dish, collecting a pair of walks, and scoring a run in the win. To round out the week, Bailey went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI against Johnson & Wales University. Bailey leads the WNE softball team with a .381 average in Conference of New England action this season. 

Northrop won his final match of the season on the courts at Forest Park this past Tuesday afternoon, helping the Golden Bears finish the season in style, with nine victories, the most wins in a season since the 2018-19 campaign. In doubles action, Northrop bumped up to the top doubles spot to play with Eston Fowler, as the two combined for a 6-2 win over Western Connecticut's Jack Buck and Jose Zambrano, 6-2, leading the Golden Bears to an opening point in the match. In singles play, Northrop made quick work of WestConn's Zambrano in the second position, coming away with a 6-3, 6-3 victory. Northrop finishes out the 2026 season with a 10-9 record in singles play, going 6-4 in CNE play, and closes out the season on a four-match win streak. 

The Western New England baseball team returns to play for four games this week, all at Trelease Park, hosting the University of Hartford this coming Tuesday, April 28, welcoming Fitchburg State University on Wednesday, April 29 at 3:30 PM, and rounding out the regular season with Roger Williams University in town for a doubleheader on Saturday, May 2 at 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM. 

Just four games remain for the WNE softball team, traveling to Eastern Connecticut State University on Thursday, April 30, for night contests (4:30 PM & 6:30 PM) before finishing the regular season at Suffolk University in important Conference of New England contests on Saturday, May 2, at 12:00 PM & 2:00 PM.