LEWISTON, Me. - The camaraderie witnessed on a visit to Bryant gave Josh Murphy a glimpse of what his future in the baseball program at the American East Conference school would be like. It helped the incoming senior at Lewiston High School make his college decision.

“The number one thing I liked there was the like-mindedness of the whole team,” Murphy explained. “It was the offseason and I went into the practice facility and the whole team was hitting and throwing like a family. Everyone wants to be the best. I feel I can get better there, that’s the biggest thing.”

Bryant’s interest in Murphy developed while pitching in the tournament down in Florida.

“I threw a no-hitter and two or three coaches that I know of reached out to my coach and Bryant was one of them,” the fourth-rated 2023 left-handed pitcher in New England reflected. “Their hitting coach actually found me and passed it onto the pitching coach who reached out.

“I got him video and it kind of went from there. They liked all the video and the stats about me. Later we went on a tour and it was great, but there was still time. I wanted to visit other schools.”

There was a trip to UMass-Lowell and interest from Stonybrook and UMass-Amherst, but it was Bryant that attracted Murphy the most.

“I like that they were the first school interested in me, plus I also really love the coaches,” Murphy related.

The 5-11 192-pound southpaw was a good fit in the eyes of the Bryant coaches.

“The pitching coach said they really like lefties that can spin the ball well and the break is great on my slider,” Murphy explained. “He said they like crafty lefties and he also talked about the mound presence, being a dog on the mound with 100 percent will to win.”

It is part of what the 51st-ranked New England senior believes he can provide the Bryant program.

“I will bring the passion of wanting to win and wanting to be the best player I can be,” Murphy said. “I can bring energy and hard work and I’ll be dedicated. We can be a family while working together. The main goal is winning and to go all the way.”

The desire to play at the next level has been around for some time.

“I’ve always wanted to play in college since I was in Little League,” Murphy noted. “But I didn’t start thinking about playing D-I until middle school. That’s when I started learning about it.

“After that I set goals, first to play as a freshman and then to play D-I. Once I realized it was very doable and that I just have to work hard it motivated me and I saw the process happening. It’s great to see a goal obtained, not just D-I but playing college baseball.”

Murphy credited PBR with helping make it happen.

“I went to a PBR event last fall at Xaverian Brothers and I did well,” Murphy said. “I pitched two innings and I was dominant. That’s where the UMass-Lowell coach reached out. That was the first real PBR showcase I went to.

“A few weeks later I went to Florida and I talked to Bryant after my performance. I sent him my PBR profile and it did a lot of the work for me. I remember he looked at those numbers and it sparked more interest for him. It was very helpful for me. It made the recruiting process a lot easier for me instead of doing everything myself.”

Now the 3.5 student at Lewiston is a college commit ready to major in business at a university 31/2 hours from home.

“I had to take a little time to make the decision,” the 17-year-old explained. “I talked to a lot of people, the (Southern Maine) River Rats (travel) coach and my high school coach were a big help. I talked to family and friends and guys playing at the D-I level now. They said choose what’s right for you. They all said you’d know what’s right for you.

“I kind of felt that at Bryant. It helped talking to plenty of people. My family is really excited about it.”

Murphy anticipates an enjoyable time once his college days begin.

“I’m looking forward to going there and representing the school, wearing the jersey and playing at a high level,” Murphy concluded. “You’re in a pack and not going to stand out, you’ve got to earn your spot. I’m excited about working hard and can’t wait to get on my way.”