| Year: | 2017 |
| Team: | Baseball |
Combining a powerful bat, a vacuum-like glove and an accurate arm, Tim Murray was the complete package. Offensively and defensively, he was a star and the diamond was his stage.
As a Suffolk University baseball player, Murray’s nickname was “Mr. Consistency,” and he had the numbers to back up that moniker. He batted .361, .376, and .377 in each of his first three seasons, respectively, and was an All New England Division III second team selection in both his junior and senior years.
Murray was clearly on top of his game during his senior season, when he posted a team-high .483 batting average, hitting safely in 31 of the 32 games he played. He hit five home runs, knocked in 45 runs, scored 45 times, and struck out only three times in 117 at-bats.
In addition to his hitting prowess, Murray, a 5-11, 200-pound catcher, was a defensive standout behind the plate. As a senior, the Rams captain threw out 18 runners stealing out of 38 attempts, a nearly 50-percent average. To demonstrate his versatility, he also stole 22 bases in 26 attempts.
In 1994, following his highly productive senior campaign, Murray was named to the NCAA Division III All-American team by the American Baseball Coaches Association. It is the highest honor achieved by all student athletes at the collegiate level, coveted by many but achieved by few.
Murray helped lead Suffolk to winning seasons in his sophomore (21-12) and senior years (19-12), which resulted in post-season play in the Eastern College Athletic Conference New England Division III baseball tournament. The team’s 21 victories in 1992 were the most wins registered at the time in Rams baseball history.
One of Murray’s career highlights came at the end of his junior year when Suffolk took a trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York to play a game at Doubleday Field against Boston University.
“It was such an historical place and something I will never forget,” said Murray, who went 2-for-4 in the big event. “I remember we took a tour of the Hall of Fame and how incredible it was to see all the legends of the game.”
Murray has been a sergeant with the Massachusetts Department of Correction for 19 years. He lives in Dracut with his wide, Kimberly, and their four children: Alexia (15), Skyla (14), Ashton (12), and Dakoda (10).