By Tom Joyce, Contributing Writer
Southborough – His college baseball season might be over, but Matt Trehub has plenty of baseball left in him this year.
The Southborough native and rising sophomore at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va., is continuing to improve his game as a member of the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League this summer.
After one of the first team practices at school this past season, Trehub spoke to his coaches, who let him know there was an opportunity for him to play for the Sharks. Trehub then briefly discussed the opportunity with his parents and proceeded to accept the offer.
“I think it’s huge coming off your first year in college,” he said of playing in the Futures League. “It’s a little more relaxed here and being a local guy, I’ve come to some games in this league to watch some older friends play. It’s cool now to be the one playing here.”
Thanks to his advanced bat, Trehub was able to work his way into his school’s lineup this past spring, but it was not where he was used to playing. Growing up, Trehub was a catcher, but he spent the spring primarily manning first base – although he made a handful of appearances behind the plate.
“First base was a little new this year,” he reflected. “I had played it a little bit for my club teams in past summers, but this was the first time I really learned the position and played it in bulk. It was good. In college, a big thing is versatility, so it’s good to be able to help the team and to go out and play somewhere.”
This summer, Trehub is listed as a catcher/first baseman on the Sharks roster and anticipates splitting reps at the two positions. After all, that is probably what he is going to do at school next spring.
“Next year, I think there’s an opportunity to do some more catching at school, so it’s absolutely a good thing to be able to come here and get some reps behind the plate and to keep playing first base,” he said. “It’s definitely good to freshen up in both spots.”
In addition to the work in the field, Trehub said he is excited to face a wide array of pitchers he otherwise would not normally face in the spring. Plus, he sees the extra plate appearances as a way to build more experience and to become more comfortable against college pitching.
“It’s a little bit of an adjustment going from the metal bats to the wood bats,” he said. “I’m getting out here and getting more at-bats, managing the swing and fine tuning the swing. It’s a good opportunity here in the summer.”
Often freshmen struggle to find playing time at their respective schools, but Trehub was able to handle competing against Division 1 pitching. During the spring, he played in 48 games and among those, he made 32 starts. In 114 at-bats, he hit .237 with two home runs and a .310 on-base percentage. Defensively, he posted a .984 fielding percentage.
“I worked with my coaches behind the scene a little bit before games and after practices,” he said, explaining how he was ready to compete at the Division 1 level as a freshman. “It was about fine-tuning my swing and working through the mental side of an at-bat. You’re just looking for your spot where you can get your pitch, be aggressive and do some damage with it.”
