Mack – Good morning
folks. We’re featuring today the Temple Owl’s Friday starter come fall, junior
righthander, Matt Hockenberry. Hey Matt. First of all, please confirm what I
just said about you so it sounds like I know what I’m talking about.
Matt - As of right now
that is the way it is looking. For the first half of the Temple season last
spring I was the Friday guy, and then we reversed the rotation a little to let
one of our redshirt juniors get back in the mix. This year, we are going to
have two other sophomores that are probably going to be in the rotation with me
who are twins, Patrick and Eric Peterson. One is a righty the other is a lefty
so the rotation might stay righty lefty righty.
Mack – You will play as
a junior and are eligible for the June draft, right?
Matt – Correct
Team Web site - 2012: Made 14 starts on the mound and was
called out of the bullpen twice…Recorded the most wins by a Temple starter
since 2008…Earned a no decision as the Owls’ opening day starter at ODU
(2/17)…Nabbed first victory of the season at North Carolina A&T (2/24),
throwing just 2.0 innings of work…Defeated Central Connecticut State (3/9) and
then struck out a career-high seven batters and lasted 8.0 innings in his next
start against Saint Peter’s to improve to 3-0 on the year…Defeated Monmouth at
home (4/1), allowing one run on six hits over 6.0 innings of work…Collected
first A-10 win at St. Bonaventure (5/11)…Pitched an inning of no-run, no-hit
ball, while not issuing a walk against Villanova (4/25)…Threw 0.2 innings of
work in the series rubber match at North Carolina A&T (2/26) and didn’t
allow a run nor a hit.
Mack –Matt, you have
had a killer summer so far that has raised the bar for you, scout wise. Tell us
about it.
Matt - I didn't really
expect to have the summer that I did. I just played every game as if it was
just a game and nothing more than that. I had a pretty decent defense behind me
that gave me the mindset to just throw strikes. I believe that my ERA this
summer was the lowest that it ever has been in my baseball career. I was voted
by the coaches all around my league to perform in the NYCBL All-Star game and
there were at least 15 scouts at the game. All summer there were a few sitting
in the stands here and there. That raised the bar for me because this is my
junior year of school. If I don't perform they won't come back. Pressure will
always be present when I'm on the mound, whether I'm ready for the next level
or not will only depend on how I handle it. Scouts aren't a foreign body to me
as I have had contact with them in high school, but now that they are allowed
to talk to me in manner of following through with the draft, It's a pretty big
deal to just go out there and have fun, yet understand that it's time to be
serious and show them what you've got.
Mack –Look, let’s face
it. Temple isn’t South Carolina. Do you think having a higher caliber of field
players around you this summer led to better stats off the mound?
Matt - I wouldn't say
that it had much to do with the defense honestly. I'd compare the two teams
that I played for this past spring and summer almost the same. I think the
biggest difference that helped my stats this summer was my mindset. There were
still errors made behind me this summer, but I had learned to compose myself
and get myself out of rough situations. I think another factor of the summer
was that my coaches weren't there. It's not like they put an enormous amount of
pressure on me, but the summer baseball placement was just a place for me to
figure out what I can do when there is no one there to coach me on the mistakes
I make on the mound. I had to figure them out on my own which in turn will help
me out a great deal this coming spring.
Mack – Is there
anything else you want to say to the readers out there as we begin to track
(I’ll be back in touch with you mid-season) your junior season?
Matt - It'll be a
pleasure talking to you again. I hope this year the team and I can make a push
to restore the program that Skip Wilson left after 2001.
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