By Christian Heimall, Staff Writer
After his junior year of high school, Matt Watkins had a pain in his throwing shoulder. A pitcher at Saint Lawrence High School in San Carlos, California, Watkins was told he just strained a muscle. “I played through it [that] summer, when I got the MRI they said I tore my labrum,” said Watkins. “They said I couldn’t pitch anymore. I didn’t know what to do.”
However, the injury did not deter the Hofstra Pride freshman. He converted to playing infield and was recruited by the University to be a shortstop but made his collegiate pitching debut at Penn State in late March. “I was supposed to pitch in Maryland,” said Watkins. “It was kind of scary but it was neat, my dad went to Ohio State so he was sitting there in all of his Ohio State gear…it was an excellent experience.”
A talent at the plate, Watkins hit .612 with 30 RBI’s and 3 homers his senior year of high school but this year was batting just .147 in 34 at-bats before returning for the hill for the first time since 2008. Since then, he has become, quite possibly, the most consistent reliever on staff for the Pride. “The bullpen is what wins and loses games, especially in college baseball,” says first year pitching coach James Lally. “We know what we’re going to get with him…it makes him really nice to have there at the end of the bullpen.”
The 6’0″165 pound righty throws consistently in the upper 80’s and has even reached 92 miles per hour on the radar gun at points this year and matches the fastball with a solid curve. He currently leads the staff with three saves on the season in six appearances. Those three saves tie the amount of saves by last year’s leader Jeff Guthridge, who has assumed the set-up role for Watkins.
While being a freshman closer on a struggling team may add pressure to most players, Watkins feels at home in the bullpen noting how young the entire staff is. “It’s not like coming in here with all seniors and I have a responsibility to do perfectly every time,” Watkins said. “I can mess up a couple times and the guys will pick me up.”
Before coming to Hempstead for his freshman season, Watkins played summer ball in Canada. “Playing up there before coming here was a huge, huge thing for me,” the freshman recalled. “Playing in a college atmosphere before and then coming here was a better experience for me.”
Watkins isn’t the first player wearing a Hofstra jersey to make a living on the mound and in the field. Scott A’Hara, a junior outfielder this season, has also been utilized on the mound in his career but as a starter. The mindset of a closer is substantially different and Watkins knows that. “As a pitcher you have to constantly be mentally prepared to throw a ball right over the plate,” he said. “Being a shortstop you can throw it in the dirt and someone can pick you up.”
The young hurler is still trying to improve his arm strength and durability, this being his first full year pitching in two seasons and is also working on developing a changeup. “If he throws the ball right…he doesn’t have to improve on much,” said Lally. “When he’s right, he’s as good as it gets for us.”