Florida Atlantic University Athletics
"Homegrown"
6/30/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 30, 2004
"Homegrown" -That's what he is. Our very own Matt O'Brien. A South Florida Boy with dreams and goals of going all the way. Here he is a senior at FAU pursuing the baseball career that he has always dreamed of, but what makes this player stand out among his friends and fellow teammates?
Many things. First of all, let's talk about how he came to FAU. It was not on a baseball scholarship as one might think. He has a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship for excellence in academics. And what a heart; he chose the field of education over many other majors because he wants to make a difference. We all know that teaching is a chosen endeavor not to be taken lightly, and we know it does not come with the prestige of a professional baseball career. However, he did get that baseball scholarship his junior year after much persistent practice, because that is just the kind of determination and heart that he has.
Matt O'Brien was raised in Palm Beach and chose to stay close to home for many reasons. One being that he wanted his parents to be able to attend his games and cheer him on as he honed his pitching skills and practiced his now famous 95 mph split-finger fast ball! Matt's father and mother are his biggest fans of course, and his dad has rarely missed a game since he began, BUT the speed and accuracy of that pitch did not happen overnight...
In his own words, Matt said that the coaches did not want to "coddle" him and therefore gave him his freshman year to practice hard, and then gave him an opportunity to prove himself in the Alabama game his sophomore year. When that game did not go as well as he would have liked, he continued to practice and perfect his pitching skills as any determined player would, playing in a summer league in Wisconsin for three years in a row also. It was in his junior year that it just "all came together" as he started delivering pitches in the low nineties. However, Matt's most memorable moment came in the UCF game his senior year when they were down 6-0 in the second inning, then were rain delayed for forty minutes. FAU's chances of winning were looking bleak. However, it was then that Matt led his team to an exciting 7-6 victory over UCF and his fans thoughts about his talents were solidified!
Now Matt is looking towards his bright future with much optimism and has closed out his collegiate career after leading his team to their fourth Regional in the last six seasons. He is someone we can be proud of here at FAU. What exactly is Matt's goal for his future? Well first of all, graduation, and then his "main goal" was to be playing professional ball in no more than three years. Well, his goals and dreams have now come true, as the Detroit Tigers recently drafted him! Way to go Matt! How can YOU contribute to the future successes of athletes here at FAU? Very easily! Help make the dreams of young men and women become realities as you shop our very own Online Buying Club, with over 1,000 stores available at your fingertips!
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