Scott Matyas

Class:
Junior
Position:
RHP
Hometown:
North Prairie, Wis.
High School:
Kettle Morraine

Former Gophers pitcher Scott Matyas served as interim pitching coach during the 2015 season while pitching coach Todd Oakes continued recovery after cancer treatment.

"I wanted to find somebody who had an understanding of our culture and the way that Todd has coached our pitchers here," head coach John Anderson said. "Throughout his playing career, I always thought Scott had the makings to be an outstanding coach because he was a student of the game. He has a high baseball IQ and asked lots of questions. He has a strong mental map to be a leader of our staff, with both the technical and mental aspects of the sport. Also, he's done exactly what the players all want to do: compete at a high level, earn their degrees and prepare themselves for life after baseball. He'll be an outstanding mentor until Todd can get back here. I know Todd's excited that Scott's here, and I don't think we could have found a better match for our program."

Matyas pitched at Minnesota from 2008-11 under Oakes' tutelage. He holds the program's career records for appearances with 94. His 36 career saves set a Big Ten record, and his 10 saves during Big Ten play in 2009 are tied for a conference record. Matyas' 15 saves in 2009 and 11 saves in 2011 rank first and tied for second in Minnesota's season record books.

The three-year closer finished his collegiate career with a 2.60 ERA, 9-7 record, 131 1/3 innings pitched and 180 strikeouts. Matyas was named to the All-Big Ten First Team in 2011, Third Team in 2010 and Second Team in 2009. His lowest season ERA was 1.60 during his senior campaign.

"As players here, we were given so much by the coaching staff," Matyas said. "Anything we can do to give back to the program is a great opportunity to come back and show how thankful I am for what they did for me in my career progression not only in baseball, but outside of baseball. We put their life lessons to use every single day. To come back and be a part of this coaching staff and help out while T.O. is gone is definitely an honor for me. I'm hoping to teach these guys as much as I can about the way T.O. does things and keep everything flowing smoothly until he comes back."

Following the 2011 season, the Detroit Tigers selected Matyas in the 27th round of the MLB Draft. He made his minor league debut with the Gulf Coast League Tigers that June. Matyas made four appearances during the season before retiring from baseball.

Matyas, a native of North Prairie, Wis., served as an intern with the Golden Gopher Fund during his senior year of school, then returned as an intern with the "M" Club in 2012. He helped organize the Bottom of the Ninth Banquet as part of the Siebert Field Legacy Campaign.

Matyas spent some time coaching at his former high school, Kettle Moraine High School. He has also worked with the Major League scouting service Inside Edge for three years. Matyas currently works as a market analyst at Five Star Professional.