Matt Groat on the mound last season for the Red Devils.
BY SAMANTHA ELLIOTT
When Matt Groat was little, he liked just tossing a ball around.
Little did he know that fascination would open the door to a life-long dream of playing baseball at a high level.
Groat, a Grosse Ile senior, will be taking his baseball skills to the next level at Wayne State University after a senior season at Grosse Ile that was over before it even began.
Due to COVID-19, the 2020 spring season was cancelled, but Groat’s efforts in years prior with the Red Devils were enough to get him to the collegiate level.
The right-handed pitcher has put in work over the years and his efforts on the mound in 2019 earned him a spot on the All Huron League Second Team.
In the circle, he finished with an ERA of 3.26 and 29 strikeouts in 34.1 innings pitched.
Offensively, he batted a .352 with 19 hits, 13 RBI, seven runs scored and five bases stolen.
Groat has been playing since he was just 5-years-old when he started with tee-ball. In the summer, he plays travel baseball for Michigan Sports Academy based out of Saline.
The pitching component just came naturally.
“I started (baseball) when I was a little kid because I always had a want to throw balls,” Groat said. “When I started playing, I became a pitcher and that was my favorite position growing up playing.
“It is my position now and what I have worked on all my life.”
While he isn’t superstitious when it comes to games, Groat does have some rituals before he zones in on improving every game.
“I’m not super big on superstitions, but before every game I pray,” he said. “Baseball is a sport where I can space myself away from other problems in life and focus on getting better.”
While he doesn’t play on any teams in another sport, Groat said he enjoys playing basketball in his free time, when not practicing for baseball.
Groat’s desire to play at the highest level possible started not long after his career did.
“When I was a little kid, I wanted to play after high school,” he said. “Watching college baseball on TV is something that I loved doing. Watching that inspired me to work my whole life to play at the next level.”
The hard work paid off and in mid-February, Groat committed to Wayne State.
“I chose Wayne State because of its awesome programs academically and athletically,” he said. “The program and coaches are great. I feel it is where I belong and can reach my full God-given potential.”
As he wraps up his time with Grosse Ile, Groat has plenty of memories to look back on.
“Over the years, playing baseball for Grosse Ile was a really great experience,” he said. “My favorite baseball memory was being able to play with my older brother when he was a senior and I was a freshman.”
While he enjoyed the fun memories, Groat also knew how to stay grounded.
“When I am pitching in a game, I’m focused on every single pitch,” he said. “I know exactly what I’m going to do when the pitch is thrown and what I’ll do the next pitch. I stay calm and don’t let anything that could go wrong bother me.”
While his time with Grosse Ile was cut short, Groat is thankful for the work he put in over the years and advises others to always continue toward their goals.
“My advice to younger players is to work hard,” he said. “You get out of it what you put into it. Whenever you have a hardship in the way, work through it and don’t look back. Always keep grinding one goal at a time.”