June 8, 2009

By Larry Watts
Contributor, BigTen.org

With a 3.97 grade point average as an undergrad in computer science, Matt Nohelty could be considered a geek. But as far as opposing pitchers in the Big Ten are concerned, the University of Minnesota leadoff hitter has been one of the hardest outs over the past four seasons.

Having just completed his first year of graduate studies in computer science, the four-time All-Big Ten selection takes a .367 career batting average (eighth in Minnesota history) into NCAA Regional play. His 300 career hits rank third in the Golden Gopher record book while his 91 stolen bases are two shy of sharing the top position.

"Every once in awhile teammates will come to me with computer problems," the Rothschild, Wis. native says with a laugh. "It's usually nothing more than a virus, nothing too serious. It's gotten to be a little joke on the team."

But Nohelty's dedication to his academics is no laughing matter. Only two A-minuses have kept his academic record from perfection.

"I've always tried my best in school," the 2008 first-team Academic All-American says. "I'm fortunate in that things have worked out between school and baseball. It's all part of being a student-athlete and I'm pretty proud of the fact I have been recognized both on and off the field."

After falling just one hit shy of .400 (.398 to be exact) in 2008, Nohelty could have packed his bags and headed off to a professional career. He had already earned his bachelor's degree and the Minnesota Twins had drafted the Golden Gophers' center fielder in the 18th round.

But Nohelty felt there was some unfinished business in his collegiate career. Long noted as one of the powerhouses in Big Ten baseball, the Golden Gopher tradition took a blow right to the midsection with a 20-35 finish. To make matters worse, a 10-21 record in conference play not only put them one loss shy of sharing last place but also marked their first losing season since 1965.

"The situation just didn't quite feel right," Nohelty says. "Negotiations (with the Twins) didn't go the way I had hoped and I was pretty excited about the guys we had coming back. We had a young team last year, especially the pitching staff, and I thought that youth was the prime reason we lost a lot of close games. Several of these players had never played at this level before."

Had he chosen the professional route, perhaps Nohelty wouldn't be looking at the game from a different angle this year. While playing in Minneapolis late last summer, he went back for a ball and made a catch against the wall. Although he made the catch, he jammed his shoulder into the wall and had to undergo an operation for both a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder. Although he returned to the Gopher lineup to play in every game this spring, the limitations on his shoulder have left him as the team's designated hitter.

"It was a strange surgery that you really don't see a whole lot and there really is no timetable for recovery," he says. "I've been throwing and working my arm up, but it's not at a point where I can play in a game yet.

"Playing DH is something I have never done before and have had trouble getting used to. It's nerve racking at the end of games to be sitting there and watching your team trying to close out games. Eric Decker has moved over to center and has done a real good job while Michael Kvasnicka and Justin Gominsky have helped pick up the slack I've left."

Nohelty's spark at the top of the lineup has been one of the key reasons the Gophers have pulled off an 18-game turnaround in the win department (38-17) heading into the NCAA Regional. He has been batting .339 with 64 runs scored and has been successful on 25 of 30 stolen base attempts.

"Last year was pretty frustrating and things just didn't work out," he says. "But I think those experiences actually helped us because we know now what it is to be like on the other side of things. When we got together last fall, there were a lot of guys determined to go above and beyond to make sure that didn't happen again."

The players even met with a sports psychologist.

"Our coach (John Anderson) is a big believer in the mental side of the game, so we talked a lot about the fact losing can be just as contagious as winning," Nohelty says. "We looked at what happened, learned from it and put it behind us. We had to get back to the expectations of a program rich with tradition."

Although his name will appear among the career leaders in several categories, Nohelty did not come to Minnesota as a highly recruited player. Anderson offered him a chance to join the team as a walk-on while he also thought about playing football as a walk-on at a couple of other schools.

"Not having baseball at the University of Wisconsin, I think a lot of guys are getting passed over in my state even though I think Minnesota does a good job of getting players to come here," he says. "I had a couple of friends who came here and really liked it academically. It's only a three-hour drive from my house, so I thought I'd check it out and I really liked what coach Anderson had to say."

After learning the ropes while sitting out as a true freshman, Nohelty slowly began to work his way into the lineup through pinch-hitting and pinch-running during the 2006 campaign. He was finally rewarded with a starting job and he responded with a .361 batting average.

"Every opportunity I got, I tried to make the most out of it," he says. "I always thought I could play at this level, but I didn't know how things would work out. It's just been a matter of taking things day by day."

Nohelty could have honed his skills two summers ago when he was invited to play with several other top college prospects in the Cape Cod League, but he chose to remain in the Twin Cities to work an internship for Northwest Airlines.

"The internship had already been lined up and the Cape Cod thing came along late in the year," he says. "The work experience was a great opportunity for me because I would be working in software development, which I find very interesting. It was my first job in the real world and, if baseball doesn't work out, it's a good option to have."

Because of his shoulder, Nohelty isn't sure how things will work out in this year's Major League Baseball Draft.

"I've talked to a few teams, but they really don't tell you what they are thinking," he says. "I'd like to give it a shot. If I was a scout, I would take a chance on me."