Mark Pananos was a four-year pitching star for the Westfield State championship baseball teams of the mid-1970s. 

Pananos was an All New England selection in 1976, a three-time all conference selection, and a two-time team Most Valuable Pitcher. He was a team captain during his senior year, then signed a professional contract with the Milwaukee Brewers following his graduation in 1977. He is one of seven Westfield State players to sign a professional baseball contract. 

Pananos, who also played four years of varsity volleyball at Westfield State, posted a career pitching record of 25-8 for the Owls, who won two conference championships and played in three NCAA Tournaments during his four years. The diminutive lefthander still holds school records for strikeouts in a season (71), lowest career earned run average (2.41), and career starts (33). Possessing outstanding control, Pananos averaged approximately two walks per game in his collegiate career. 

During the summer months, Pananos played with a number of his Westfield State teammates, including Hall of Famers Butch LaMagdelaine, Dave Tabin and Bob Kallstrom, for a Holyoke-based club in the Tri-County League. Pananos was the Tri-County League college player of the year in 1975 and 1976 and helped to lead the team to three consecutive regular season championships. Pananos also played for the Chicopee Falls Tigers in the Tri-County League. 

Following his playing days he was the head baseball coach at American International College from 1982 to 1988. 

Pananos is a native of Nashua, N.H., but his family moved to Western Massachusetts in the early 1970s, and he had an illustrious pitching career at Holyoke High School. He posted a three-year record of 19-3 and earned All-League honors two years and All Western Mass. honors his senior year. 

Pananos has taught high school mathematics for 23 years, including 17 years at high school alma mater. Since 1997 he has taught advanced level mathematics at the Academy at Swift River in Cummington, Mass., where he also serves as the dean of the academic faculty and chair of both the math and science departments. He resides in Cummington and has a 10-year-old son Timothy.