Wilson’s Matt VanOstenbridge is UECU Pitcher of the Week
The Wilson Bulldogs saw late last season they’d have a true No. 1 on the mound coming into this season.
Matt VanOstenbridge, then a sophomore, threw a four-hit shutout in the opening round of the District 3 Class 6A playoffs as the Bulldogs knocked out fifth-seeded Dallastown, which came into the game with five .300 hitters in its lineup.
“He really stymied them, (and) they had a really good ballclub,” said Bill Underwood, Wilson’s interim head coach.
VanOstenbridge has been doing a lot of that this season. He threw a four-hitter with 10 strikeouts to beat Berks II favorite Twin Valley last week to earn Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week honors.
VanOstenbridge didn’t walk a batter in that 9-2 win. In fact, he hasn’t walked a batter this season through 17 innings, covering three starts. His 26-0 strikeouts-to-walks ratio is eye-catching, to say the least.
“He likes to challenge the hitter,” said Underwood. “When he gets behind in the count he’ll throw that fastball right over and knows that he’s got good stuff and doesn’t have to nick the corner.”
VanOstenbridge throws a fastball in the upper 80’s that tops out at 90 mph and compliments it with a curveball, changeup and an improving slider he’s added to the mix this season. The junior has a lot of movement on all of his pitches.
That’s why he was named a preseason underclass All-American by PerfectGameUSA and is getting interest from Division I programs such as Penn State, Kent State, Kansas State and Boston College.
“His bread and butter pitches are his fastball, curveball and changeup,” Underwood said, “and now he’s throwing in a slider, which makes him that much more effective.
“It’s not often (you can) throw both offspeed pitches for strikes. He’s doing a real good job of advancing his game with more pitches.”
VanOstenbridge is 1-1 with a 1.65 ERA over three starts. He has allowed nine hits and is holding opposing batters to a .153 batting average.
He allowed one hit over five innings, with eight strikeouts, in a 7-5 win over Boyertown and struck out eight over five innings in an 8-3 loss to Parkland; he took the loss when the Bulldogs allowed three unearned runs.
VanOstenbridge didn’t pitch many of Wilson’s bigger games last season; those went to seniors Rueben Livingston and Cole Leaman. He went 4-2 in 12 appearances with a 1.46 ERA as a sophomore. He was second on the team, to Livingston, with 57 strikeouts over 38 1/3 innings.
Now he’s the unquestioned No. 1 on the staff; he’s scheduled to throw in a key Berks League Division I game Wednesday night at Muhlenberg.
“He’s shown us that he’s the guy we need for the games we need to win,” Underwood said.
Van Ostenbrdige is the second Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week this season, and the first from Wilson. Players considered for UECU Union Pitcher of the Week honors are nominated by their coaches or by MikeDragoSports.com.
Also nominated for Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week:
- Parker Nein, Berks Catholic
- Nate Fronheiser, Brandywine Heights
- Riley Civiello, Conrad Weiser
- Dalton Follweiler, Muhlenberg
- Ethan Grim, Gov. Mifflin
- Chase Kegerise, Oley Valley
- Aiden Schwalm, Tulpehocken
- Deven Sheerin, Exeter
Selected as Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week earlier this season:
- April 3: Deven Sheerin, Exeter
Selected as Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week last season:
- April 4: Tristan Baer, Hamburg
- April 11: Alexander Velez, Gov. Mifflin
- April 18: Cole Leaman, Wilson
- April 25: Tristan Baer, Hamburg
- May 2: Matt Kramer, Wyomissing
- May 9: Luke Macdonald, Oley Valley
- May 16: Luke Macdonald, Oley Valley
- May 23: Rueben Livingston, Wilson
