In the sporting world you often hear coaches and analysts refer to a player’s "IQ" on the field of play.

Though it’s not necessary to be a great athlete, having a high IQ can certainly help, and often times it correlates to having an aptitude for higher learning off the field as well.

Recently, Billy Peterson, a Wareham High School graduate and current member of Springfield College’s varsity baseball team, was named to the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference 2014 Baseball Academic All-Conference Team for maintaining a 3.5 GPA or higher while also playing at least a full year of a varsity sport.

“He’s an intelligent player—he’s got a high baseball IQ,” said Springfield Head Coach Mark Simeone of Peterson, who’s currently a sophomore. “I’m a firm believer that a lot of those characteristics are overlapping (into the non-baseball world). The way he is as a player is reflective of the type of individual he is and student he is.”

“A couple of times, I’ve found myself doing homework on the bus,” said Peterson when reached recently by phone, adding that keeping up on his grades and his athletic endeavors can sometimes be a bit of a challenge, though it’s clear that he’s done a good job of it thus far. “It’s gone really well— I’m very pleased with all the opportunities I’ve had to this point. I’ve been really happy academically and athletically until this point.”

For Peterson, some of those other opportunities include co-hosting his own radio show called the Peterson-Julius Show on Springfield College’s WSCB 88.9 (which is also available online), writing for his school’s newspaper, The Springfield Student, and working with SCTV 3, a student-run television station.

“Im very opinionated, and I love to talk about sports,” he said.

On the field, Peterson’s seen success in his first full year with the varsity squad, where he’s learned a new position—first base—while helping to bring his team to a regular season NEWMAC Western Division title. They’ll host the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the first round of the playoffs in a best-of-three series this Saturday and Sunday.

Peterson said the switch from middle infield (where he played for Wareham High and American Legion Post No. 220) to first base has been challenging, but he’s gotten better as the season’s progressed.

“I’ve gained confidence there as the year's gone on,” he said. “I’ve figured out a style that makes it a little easier. I’m getting more confident there now.”

Simeone said Peterson has gotten some clutch hits for the team this year while also playing a solid first base.

“He’s been a solid contributor to our program this year,” said Simeone. “He’s been a guy that has displayed some versatility. Billy has been a guy who has certainly been reliable at first base and has been a solid situational hitter. He’s hit in big spots to help us win some ball games. He’s doing very well for us.”

As for his future, Peterson said that he’d like to take a lot of what he’s learned both on and off the field, and turn that into a profession.

“I would love to be a beat writer for a professional sports team or host a sports talk show,” he said. “Right now I’d have to lean more towards the radio stuff.”

Keith Delgado, who coached Peterson locally for the American Legion Post #220 team, said that having him around was a pleasurable experience, and that he only envisions bigger and better things for him in the future.

“I had the privilege to coach Billy for four years in American Legion baseball,” he said. “He's developed into an outstanding young man and has worked hard to play baseball at the collegiate level. Additionally, he's always willing to learn and gain knowledge and has a bright future ahead of him for sure.”