Ray Arra ('65) starred in baseball and basketball during the early 1960s. Arra was the baseball team's Most Valuable Player in 1963 and 1964 and was a three-year co-captain. He led the Owls in hitting for three years and pitching for two years. Arra compiled a 14-4 career pitching record and batted .405 in 1963; .384 in 1962; and .357 in 1964. 

In basketball, Arra led the team in scoring in 1964 until he sustained an injury midway through the season. Additionally, he was president of the Men's Athletic Association during the 1963-64 academic year. 

Before coming to Westfield State, Arra was a standout in baseball, football and basketball at Needham High School, where he graduated from in 1959. He played professional baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates' Class D team in Hobbs, New Mexico, from 1960-61. Arra then served as a Western Mass. scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1966-73. 

Arra was a high school teacher for more than 35 years and recently retired as a middle school teacher in East Longmeadow. He coached youth baseball for more than 30 years, winning more than 400 American Legion and high school games. His high school teams have qualified for nine postseason tournaments and his Legion teams have never finished below second place. 

A resident of Westfield, Arra re-started the Westfield American Legion program in 1966. He coached Legion baseball for 18 years, with stops at Needham, Westfield, Southwick and West Springfield. He has coached high school baseball at Westfield Vocational, East Longmeadow and presently at Minnechaug Regional. From 1972 to 1974 he was the athletics director at Westfield Vocational High School. 

Arra is currently the head baseball coach at Westfield State College. He was the Owls' pitching coach in 2003 and 2004 before assuming the head coaching position in 2005. Also, he was an assistant at American International College when the Yellow Jackets won the Northeast 10 title and played in the NCAA Division 2 College World Series. 

In addition, Arra has 16 years of coaching experience in high school basketball. He also was an assistant coach at Westfield State for four years, from 1990-94, when the Owls qualified for one NCAA tournament and two ECAC tournaments. He has directed numerous basketball and baseball camps in the area. 

Arra and his wife, Judy (Boron), a 1966 Westfield State graduate, have two daughers: Christine and Kimberly.