When a high school athlete looks to take his athletic career to the next level, he has a couple of choices to make. If he’s good enough, the offers will come in from schools around the country. If he’s really, really good enough, to the point where he can turn pro, Division I schools will be the choice. They do, after all, offer the highest competition and the best chance to get recognized. But what if you don’t get scouted in high school and don’t have any major college pursuing you? The answer then is to go to a junior college or a Division II school. For Matt Adams of the St. Louis Cardinals, he picked the latter of the two.
“Going into my freshman year, I didn’t get looked at in high school. I just wanted to keep on playing,” Adams said. “After the summer league I had in the NECBL, I played against some of the top Division I talent and did pretty well. I knew I just had to keep working hard to make it happen.”
Adams, a Philipsburg native, was selected by the Cardinals in the 23rd round of the 2009 amateur draft. Adams didn’t have the big schools looking at him while in college, nor did he have the pro scouts checking him out either. In order to continue his baseball career, Adams decided to play at Slippery Rock University. The 6-foot-3, 26o-pound Adams did nothing but impress during his time with The Rock.
During his senior season, Adams had an unearthly .495 average and .853 slugging percentage. In his 51 starts, Adams slugged 14 home runs and drove in 64 runs en route to a 36-15 record.
Adams enjoyed his senior year, but it was his experience with his teammates and his freshman year that were the most memorable for him.
“I’d have to say playing with all of my teammates that I had. I developed a lot of close friendships with them. I still stay in touch with those guys today,” Adams said. “That and my freshman year being one win away from being from the World Series.”
Adams played in the Pennsylvania State Athletics Conference (PSAC) during his time at Slippery Rock. The conference features teams such as Clarion University, Cal U, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Shippensburg University and many others. Adams said that during his tenure at SRU, he enjoyed playing the teams in Eastern Pennsylvania the most.
“I think our rival was Shippensburg, before the PSAC split into divisions. The teams that we looked forward to playing were the teams from out East when we got into the playoffs,” Adams explained. “It was always hyped up like Slippery Rock and Cal U and then Kutztown and West Chester. It was neat to be able to play the East teams in the PSAC playoffs.”
Adams has moved on from his days in Slippery Rock and is now a standout first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals. While he doesn’t play everyday, the Cardinals try to accommodate his talents in every way possible. They’ve even moved MVP candidate Allen Craig to the outfield at times to free up a spot at first base for Adams.
The Cardinals are in town to play the Pirates with just a half-game lead for the division. While the Cardinals are in a four-game slump, Adams said he and his teammates are as confident as ever. On the season, Adams has a slash line of .297/.355/.500 with seven home runs and 30 RBI in just 63 games.
We’ve seen the stadium get loud when Punxsutawney native and Cincinnati Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco comes to town, but what is it like for Adams playing in front of his hometown crowd?
“It’s nice. It’s really nice to see family members and friends that I haven’t seen since I left for spring training in February,” Adams said with a smile. “It’s pretty cool to have them in the stands and have them watch me go out and play. A lot of my teammates make the trip since they live around here. It’s easy for them to come out.”
Despite going on to play in the big leagues, Adams said he still keeps in contact with his former teammates and still follows the team throughout the season.
“We had an day off in Florida this year, and they were down there for their spring trip,” Adams said. “I was able to make a trip over there and talk to some of the kids and coach.”
If you’ve ever been to Slippery Rock or talk to anyone from there, Adams name is still brought up all of the time. He can be thrown in there with Ginger Hill Tavern and North County Brewing Company as some of the legends of the town.
Speaking of which, does Adams have a preference between the two?
“I’d say Ginger Hill Tavern just because of the wings. They had the full ones instead of the little ones,” Adams said with a laugh. “I lived behind Ginger Hill, so it was easier to walk out of the door and right there instead of walking to North County Brewing Company.”
