by Dane Neumeister
College of Mount St. Joseph senior Steve Matre (Cincinnati, OH/Purcell Marian), a 6-foot-2, 185-pound , 22-year-old right-hander, was taken in the 39th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. Matre missed the 2010 college baseball season for the Lions due to rehabbing from June, 2009 “Tommy John” surgery on his pitching arm.
Matre, who has one year of college eligibility remaining for the Lions, is presently on the roster of the Cincinnati Steam summer baseball team, which is scheduled to start the season on June 11. The Mount has had five players in the College’s short baseball history play professional baseball. Matre has recorded 32 collegiate saves, just three short of the NCAA Division III all-time record. He has also won All-Conference and All-American honors while in college.
Matre was surprised and excited about being selected in the draft. Matre was on the professional scout’s radar last spring and figured to be drafted before undergoing the pre-draft surgery.
“I was watching the draft tracker on the web today (Wednesday) and turned off the computer after the 36th round so I could get to practice (for the Steam),’’ he stated. “I figured since I hadn’t played in a year I was probably not going to get drafted at this point. A little while later I received a text from (Mount assistant coach) Jeff Newman and he told me I got drafted by the Dodgers. Their local scout, Tom Keefe, then called me and told me that I was now a professional athlete.”
“I was really excited to hear that I was chosen. It was like a dream come true and something that I’ve wanted to do (play professional baseball) for a long time.”
Matre said he has been cleared by the doctor that did his surgery last season and he will be ready for action at the start of summer ball this weekend. He added that the Steam has told him they plan to break him in slowly, and that he will be used as their closer this season. As for contract talks with the Dodgers, Matre said that will come down the road.
“I talked to a couple of scouts with the Dodgers today and they said they had seen me pitch in the past and were excited to have me in their organization,’’ Matre added. “They want me to get back to pitching for a couple of weeks and then we will discuss a contract.”
Head Coach Chuck Murray, who has been with the Mount’s program since their inception, first as an assistant for three years and the last 14 years as the Lions’ head coach, was thrilled for Matre.
“This is a very exciting day for both Steve and for the program,’’ Murray said. “We hope to see him pitch at the next level very soon.”
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©2012 College of Mount St. Joseph.