'It’s kind of a dream come true': Best friends West, Mudd, reunite to shine for Boston College baseball
John West started Boston College’s 2024 baseball opener and went four innings before giving way to Tyler Mudd, who, in his first appearance for the Eagles, was splendid in closing out a 9-2 win over Ohio State.
Before joining the handshake line, West ran out to the mound to congratulate Mudd, and the best friends from Shrewsbury shared a hug.
“Ty said, ‘That was some really special stuff right there,’ ” West said during an interview this week. “To do it on opening day and split the game with Ty, who was outstanding, was a nice kickstart to our season.”
Mudd played two seasons at Holy Cross before transferring to BC, his “dream school,” last summer. Being reunited with West was a bonus.
“It’s kind of a dream come true,” Mudd said. “Playing baseball together again is awesome, but getting to hang out with him every day off the field as well has been unbelievable.”
West, a senior and BC’s primary weekend starter, and Mudd, a junior who has made five relief appearances, have helped the Eagles to a solid season. BC is 20-17 (7-12 ACC) under first-year coach Todd Interdonato and in the middle of a three-game weekend series at Notre Dame.
The 6-foot-8, 265-pound West, who starred in baseball and basketball at Shrewsbury High and was a hero of the 2019 Shrewsbury Post 397 American Legion World Series team, is 1-1 with a 4.70 ERA in nine starts this season.
He pitched on Fridays early in the season and has since become the Saturday starter.
“I’m trying to be as consistent as I can for us and give us a shot to win,” West said, “whether it was on Friday setting the tone for the weekend, or on Saturday to even the series or win the series. It’s been a really good year.”
West, who helped Shrewsbury baseball to a Division 1 state final appearance as a junior, admittedly labored his first two years at Boston College. His ERA was over 10 his sophomore season.
“If you look at the numbers,” West said, “I’ve had an interesting career. I started really slowly and struggled my sophomore year. I was given a lot of opportunities to work through that failure and continued to struggle, but kind of came into my own my junior year and tried to continue that ever since.”
In 2023, West, a right-hander, went 5-3 with one save and a 4.50 ERA. He struck out 71 and walked 25 in 68 innings, and he led the team in opposing batting average (.208).
West has been particularly effective his last three starts, all BC wins, averaging seven innings and allowing an average of three runs.
“He’s really found it,” Mudd said. “We expect him to be a huge factor as we make a playoff push the next couple of weeks.”
Mudd was a freshman reserve on St. John’s 2017 Division 1A state championship team, and as a sophomore, batted .392 and had a 1.41 ERA over a team-high 34⅔ innings.
After two years at St. John’s, Mudd reclassified at Deerfield Academy. He committed to Holy Cross as a two-way player (pitcher/outfielder).
Mudd missed most of the 2023 season due to injuries (hamstring, thumb), but had a productive summer playing for the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
“At Holy Cross, I was fortunate to play right away,” Mudd said, “and I’m grateful I was given a lot of opportunities. At the Cape, you’re playing against the best of the best, and doing pretty well there gave me a lot of confidence coming into this year, and I just kind of ran with it.”
Mudd, a 5-foot-9, 175-pound lefty, is 2-2 with a save and a 2.79 ERA. In 19⅓ innings, he has 24 strikeouts and has issued eight walks.
“In one of the first bullpens I threw, they found metrically that my fastball, analytically, was pretty good,” Mudd said. “I’ve always been more of an off-speed guy, so that’s been really helpful this year and something I’ve really implemented in my game. It’s been awesome working with the coaches, and everywhere we’ve played has been such a cool atmosphere.”
West, who put in a good word for BC when Mudd entered the transfer portal, has made Mudd’s transition to a new school and team easy.
“He’s been awesome,” Mudd said. “Any question I have I know I can go to him. He’s been around the block, so he prepared me for what to expect and he gave me some pointers along the way. It’s been really special.”
West and Mudd, whose families live about four minutes apart, met for the first time in Shrewsbury’s instructional league, and played against each other throughout Little League.
They were 10-year-old AAU teammates and again for Mizuno NorthEast 15U.
Before this season, West and Mudd last played together on the Shrewsbury Post 397 team in 2018.
Whenever they were home from school, though, they would still get together to play catch at one of the town fields.
West and Mudd, who went to different elementary schools, were classmates for the first time this year at BC, in a communications course.
“To have Ty here for my last year has been one of the most special things about my college experience,” West said. “It’s been really cool to pitch in the same games and get a chance to win together.”
On April 25, Boston College will host its 12th annual ALS Awareness Game at Fenway Park. The Eagles play Virginia at 7 p.m.
The game has honored former BC baseball captain Pete Frates since his ALS diagnosis in 2012, and holds extraordinary significance to West, whose dad, Ken, passed away in 2014 at age 52 after valiantly battling ALS for four years.
Mudd was in the Fenway Park stands when West pitched brilliantly and earned the win in last year’s Boston College ALS Awareness Game.
“We were both so young when he lost his father,” Mudd said. “Knowing how much he and his family took care of his dad, (the ALS game) is so important to him. Last year was really special and hopefully we can recreate it this year.”
West, who has been an amazing ambassador for ALS awareness, will be recognized at the game for his impact in the community. In February, West was named captain of the inaugural Lou Gehrig Community Impact team, as announced by Phi Delta Theta and the Live Like Lou Foundation.
“I’m really honored to be part of it,” West said. “The ALS connection was a major key in me coming to Boston College to begin with, and it’s been a really special part of our program since Pete started the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ in 2014. It’s special to play a small part in continuing his mission.”
Through the “Ice Bucket Challenge,” Frates helped raise over $220 million toward research for a cure for ALS.
West did not have the chance to meet Frates before he passed away in 2019 at the age of 34, but West, his mom, Nancy, and his brother, Mike, have got to know Frates’ family, and they have formed a close bond.
“(The ALS Awareness game) will be a special day having the Frates family there and my family there,” West said. “It’s bigger than baseball. It’s a day for all of us to come together and play our role in helping to strike this thing out.
“My dad has been my hero, along with my mom and my brother because it takes a team to fight this disease,” West said. “To be able to fight for this cause that has not only affected just my family or Pete’s family but many other families has been a cool experience, and we try to play our part and keep it going.”
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @JenTolandTG.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Shrewsbury's John West and St. John's Tyler Mudd reunite to shine at Boston College
