by Chelsea Ladd
The Paducah Sun
July 11, 2024
Used with permission.
For former Paducah Tilghman baseball standout, the vast opportunities with collegiate baseball continue to grow Justin West’s love and learning for the game since enrolling with the University of Louisville in the spring of 2022 after retiring the Blue Tornado blue and white uniform.
“My college experience has been great so far. I love my teammates and the program,” West said. “I’m happy that I finished my first college season healthy and got to play in a lot of cool places.”
Although his 2023 season with Louisville did not end the way he had planned with a season-ending injury, West made his first collegiate appearance on February 22 in a midweek game against Xavier for a scoreless inning. In the past season, the left-handed hurler made 12 appearances, with two starts for the Cardinals—finishing 2-1 with a 5.40 earned run average and one save.
Overall, West struck out 23 opponents in 16.2 innings of work on the mound for Louisville. Notably, he tossed three scoreless innings with three strikeouts to collect a save against St. Bonaventure and threw two shutout innings against Northwestern. His first career win came on April 23, 2024, against Western Kentucky University—allowing one run in two innings.
“I wouldn’t say I had a specific highlight that sticks out from the spring other than going to the ACC tournament,” West said. “In the fall, we went to the Dominican Republic and did community service, like feeding a village, going to an orphanage, and hosting a kid’s camp. We also played against the summer league teams down there.”
As mentioned, the University of Louisville baseball team traveled to the Dominican Republic last October. West and the team held a youth baseball camp for approximately 150 kids, ranging from eight to 18 years old, in a 90-minute clinic.
The son of Robyn and Keith West remains one of the most recognizable names in the First Region for his performances for Paducah Tilghman. As a junior, he pitched seven innings against the McCracken County Mustangs in 2021, fanning 20 batters, tying a state record while allowing one hit, and firing six scoreless innings in the 12-inning contest.
West lettered four years in high school baseball, was named a 2021 First-Team All-State member, and assisted in the Paducah Tilghman Blue Tornado winning the 2021 Kentucky 2A State Championship.
Although the collegiate season wrapped up, West has kept up, playing in the prestigious Cape Cod League with the Bourne Braves in Bourne, Massachusetts. While in the Cape, West has had the opportunity to experience another side of the game he loves. From new coaching tactics and mindsets to scenery and teammates, the Paducah native will only grow his talents from his time in Massachusetts before returning to Louisville.
“I love the Cape so far. The team is great, and getting a change of scenery is nice,” he said. “Also, learning from new coaches with different perspectives gives me more opportunities to learn about myself and baseball as a whole.”
So far, West has worked over eight innings in the Cape for the Braves. He sits with a 5.19 earned run average, allowing seven hits and four walks while fanning 15 and allowing five earned runs.