Framingham State will be the next stop in the career of John Baker, as the Worcester Railers Jr. Hockey Club forward has announced his commitment to play for the Rams at the collegiate level starting with the 21-22 season.

Baker’s regular season scoring line of 8-22-30 tied him with teammate Matt Pimental as the top point-getter for the Railers this past winter. He also added three goals in five post-season games.

Framingham State calls the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) home.

The skilled forward had several options to mull over, including several in the MASCAC, but ultimately decided on Framingham State for a number of reasons.

“I really liked the coach (Mike Bailey) when I went on my visit,” Baker said. “I know a few of the Framingham players The other thing I like is that it is close to my home. Living in Newton, it is a short commute up Route 9 to Framingham. The MASCAC is a very competitive league and I’m very impressed with coach Bailey’s drive and determination to bring Framingham to the top.

 “It’s pretty cool,” he continued. “I love Massachusetts. “Having finally made my decision, I can now start my training to get ready for my college athletic career now that I know where I am going I am very excited to become a student-athlete at Framingham State University.”

“John brought a lot of personality to the locker room and was a well-liked guy,” said Worcester Railers JHC head coach Sean Bertoni. “John has tremendous skill and is an offensive threat. He is a great skater with speed and quickness. We are excited for John that he has made the decision to become a student-athlete at Framingham State.”

Baker had a terrific high school hockey career at Newton South HS, where he was one of the top goal scorers in all of Massachusetts HS hockey. He then spent one year at the Tilton School working on improving his study habits and improving his grade point average. 

After a productive year with the Railers, he is ready to work hard in anticipation of stepping on the ice with FSU.

“There is some stuff that I need to work on, mainly in the defensive end,” he said. “Things like getting back into the play. The coaches were on me about improving on that part of my game to help me get ready for college hockey.”

Baker credited Railers GM Mike Addesa with getting the process going with Framingham State.

“He made the connection there with coach Bailey,” he said. “He got the ball rolling for me.”

“John made consistent progress in his overall game in his year with the Railers,” Addesa said. “He is definitely a highly-skilled player. He is an excellent skater with excellent hand skills. He leaves us having gained a great deal in his education of the game with a great potential to become a truly outstanding college hockey player. We are very grateful to Johnny for his contribution to our program. He was a very good teammate. We all wish him the very best moving forward.”