Russ Hammond (’73) was a two-sport standout in baseball and basketball at Westfield State in the early 1970s. 

At the completion of his senior year, Hammond received three major awards in honor of athletic achievements. He was the recipient of the prestigious WSC President’s Cup as the most outstanding athlete for the 1973 school year. He also received the WSC Contributions to Basketball and Baseball Awards in 1973. 

Hammond was a four-year member of the Westfield State varsity basketball squad in an era when few freshmen played on varsity teams. A versatile team player, Hammond capably played all three positions: guard, forward and center. He scored 859 career points in 85 games. 

Ben (BA) Adams, a 2005 Westfield State Hall of Fame inductee, said of his college teammate: “Russ was a great all around team player. He did everything the coach asked him to do. He was a good shooter, a great passer, and a good inside player.” 

Hammond was a workhorse pitcher for the Westfield State baseball team. He led the Owls in innings pitched in 1971, 1972 and 1973, and allowed only 49 earned runs in 158 innings. He posted winning records of 4-1 in 1971 and 4-3 in 1973. 

Hammond, who is a public school teacher in Waltham, has remained active in athletics as a coach for youth basketball and softball teams, including a two-year stint as the boys’ head coach at Watertown High School and a 10-year stint as the girls’ basketball assistant coach at Burlington High School. 

While attending Waltham High School in the late 1960s, he was a three-year starter on the basketball team. 

Hammond and his wife, Janice, reside in Weston with their daughter Christina (19).