Season Recap:

For the fourth time in five years, the Western Mustangs baseball team captured the OUA Championship in 2009. It was very much a season of redemption for the Mustangs, who endured a disappointing semifinal loss to McMaster in 2008 following three straight league titles from 2005-07.

After going 4-4 through their first eight games in ‘09, the Mustangs spun off seven straight victories and won nine out of their last 10 to finish first in the standings heading into the playoffs. Western led the league with the most runs scored (104) as well as the fewest allowed (48) in the regular season.

In the playoffs, the Mustangs swept four straight games – first, a best-of-three semifinal series against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues (4-2 and 5-1), and then a best-of-three final against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (6-0 and 3-1) to earn the 2009 OUA title. Thanks to their recent dynasty, Western has won more league titles (four) than any other team in the league since baseball became an OUA sport in 2001.

Following the OUA Championship, the Mustangs traveled to Oshawa, Ont. to participate in the Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association (CIBA) National Championships for the first time in team history. Unfortunately, Western finished just 2-3 in round-robin play and failed to make it to the semifinals. The team lost twice to a former Double-A pitcher -- Concordia’s Julian Tucker, who was named the tournament’s top pitcher.

OUA Regular Season Record:
13-5 (first place)

OUA Playoff Record:
4-0 (2009 OUA Champions)
Western defeats Wilfrid Laurier -- two games to none -- in OUA Final

OUA Awards:
Coach of the Year: Mike Lumley
First-Team All-Stars: OF Andrew Thomson (Brampton, Ont.), 2B Bruce Craine (Whitby, Ont.)
Second-Team All-Star: LHP Jordan Townshend (London, Ont.)

CIBA Record:
2-3 in round-robin (failed to make semifinals)

CIBA Awards:
All-Star Team: 1B Robert Wakefield (St. Thomas, Ont.)