STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - For fans of Shippensburg University baseball, May 26, 2008 seems just like yesterday. While it was just 14 months ago, the humid Monday evening in Illinois was the stage for one of the most virtuoso pitching performances in school history.
Not only did
Matt Wright throw 166 pitches (including 105 strikes) and limit the opposition to just five hits, but his complete-game victory secured him the PSAC record for career strikeouts in addition to the first Division II College World Series victory in program history.
The legendary nature of the performance lingers to this day. There were the reports that night from catcher
Sean Killian - who reported to head coach
Matt Jones that instead of growing tired or decreasing in velocity, Wright's arm actually started throwing harder as the game wore on - a fact corroborated by the radar guns of nearby scouts that read 90 mph during the final inning.
Regardless, it was an incredible feat to make the No. 14-ranked team in the nation seem like just another PSAC opponent. Wright finished his career with 333 strikeouts in three seasons, including 151 during the 2008 season, and was on pace to break even more records had not the Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the 12th round of the amateur draft. "He's a lefty with a fastball that touches 92 mph," said Blue Jays scout Tom Burns. "I'll be pulling for him to be in Toronto one day."
Now in the same MLB organization as Red Raider teammates
Nate Starner '06 and
Ross Buckwalter '07, Wright has been with the short-season Auburn Doubledays since his arrival in professional baseball. In his debut season, Wright struck out 54 batters in 50.1 innings but posted a 3.58 earned-run average and walked 22 batters.
"I'm being more aggressive this year," Wright said. "Something I learned from last year is not going out there and trying to strike everybody out. Make them swing the bat, and they can get themselves out."
Wright posted zeroes through his first 11 innings this season but has had to weather a couple of mid-season bumps to maintain his spot in the starting rotation. He has struck out 22 batters through 18.2 innings this season.
When looking back to his days at Shippensburg, Wright mentioned that one particular memory stood out above the others. The two-time NCBWA North Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Year and PSAC Western Division Pitcher of the Year, who took classes this past Fall at Shippensburg and is still working to finish his degree in geo-environmental studies, vividly recalled the 2007 squad that rallied after an opening-round loss to win the PSAC Championship. It was another memorable moment amidst an already adventurous baseball journey.
In fact, an essence of Wright's whirlwind ride through the minors came full circle on July 18, when Wright's Doubledays traveled to Coney Island to face former teammate
Justin Garber and the Brooklyn Cyclones. Wright got the best of Garber that day, inducing a groundout in the first inning and recording a strikeout in the fourth, but the teammates cherished the opportunity to catch up on lost time and reunite with Jones, who made the trip up that Saturday to watch the game.
Despite standing just 5-feet 9-inches tall, Wright continues to defy his skeptics and attain experience in the minor-league system. The decision-makers may continue to question his stature, but there is no denying the size of his heart.
Matt Wright's Shippensburg Baseball Bio
Matt Wright
5-10 • 165 • L/L • Pitcher
McClure/Midd-West
2008 (Junior): Named a NCBWA Third Team All-American...earned PSAC Western Division Pitcher of the Year award and three regional pitcher of the year awards from the NCBWA, ABCA and Daktronics, Inc...concluded his third season by breaking the school and conference records for strikeouts in a season (151) and a career (333)...surpassed the SU single-season record by 38 punchouts...won a Rawlings/ABCA "Gold Glove" award after successfully fielding 22 chances...recorded nine victories and compiled a 2.39 earned-run average through 98 innings...held opponents to a .181 batting average...threw five complete games, including one shutout...struck out at least six batters in all 14 of his starts during the season...registered 10 or more strikeouts in nine starts, including three consecutive from March 10-21...threw a one-hitter against regionally-ranked Pittsburgh-Johnstown on March 10 in Florida in front of a horde of scouts, striking out 11...matched that feat in six innings on April 3 against Clarion, striking out 13...lasted at least five innings in all of his starts...never allowed more than seven hits in any start...pitched four crucial innings of shutout relief with four strikeouts in the Mid-Atlantic Region Championship game, just two days after beating UPJ again with just one unearned allowed through seven innings with 10 strikeouts...tied a career-high with 15 strikeouts in a complete-game, 166-pitch victory over Franklin Pierce at the Division II World Series to help SU earn its first-ever victory in a NCAA championship.
2007 (Sophomore): Followed a sensational rookie season with an equally impressive sophomore campaign..worked as the No. 1 starter in the rotation..named PSAC West Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 9 when he tossed a complete game against IUP, striking out eight…was also named the All-Region Pitcher of the Year after recording a 2.08 ERA and allowing just 18 earned runs in 78.0 innings and posting a 6-3 record…cracked the Raider record book by marking his place in history by striking out 99 on the year…took a no-hit bid through 6.2 innings in a 3-1 win against Wingate…beat #2 Tampa on March 10th throwing a complete game while striking out seven Tampa batters…tossed a 9-inning complete game in a North Atlantic Regional game against West Virginia State in which he struck out a season-high 11 batters and allowed just four hits and one run.
2006 (Freshman): Burst onto the scene as a freshman and produced one of the finest rookie seasons in Shippensburg history…quickly became the No. 2 pitcher in the rotation, forming the PSAC's top tandem with PSAC Western Division and All-Region Pitcher of the Year Nathan Starner…named All-PSAC Western Division First Team and was the first Ship freshman to be named PSAC Western Division Rookie of the Year as a pitcher…also named to the All-NCAA Division II North Atlantic Region First Team by both the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA)…named PSAC Western Division Pitcher of the Week on May 1...posted a 7-1 record, tying for second in the PSAC in victories…placed first on the team with four complete games…ranked second in the PSAC in opponent batting average (.198)…1.99 ERA led the team and ranked third in the conference…struck out 83 batters and averaged 10.99 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, which ranked third in the PSAC…struck out 29 batters looking, which was second-best total in the conference…posted an incredible 5-0 record and a 0.84 ERA with four complete games in PSAC Western Division games…83 strikeouts ranks as the fifth-best single season total in Shippensburg history…walked just 20 batters all season…registered double digit strikeouts on three occasions…surrendered just over six hits per nine innings of work…did not allow more than seven hits or three earned runs in a single outing…hurled six or more innings in nine of 12 appearances…picked up his first career save in first career appearance by throwing one shutout inning against Mount Olive on Feb. 12...won first career game in first career start on Feb. 19 against Wingate…allowed just one run on six hits over four innings…fanned 12 batters and allowed just one run in six innings of relief work against Georgia College & State on March 4...threw a three-hit shutout and struckout 12 batters against Indiana (Pa.) on April 1...tossed a complete game shutout, allowing three hits and striking out 13 batters against Clarion on April 29...helped Red Raiders to lone victory in the PSAC Tournament by allowing one run on four hits through six innings against California (Pa.) on May 4.
Personal: Was born on May 7, 1987...is the son of Scott and Denise Wright...majoring in geo-envoironmental studies.
