Westminster senior outfielder Tate Matheny capped off a busy summer by making a college commitment Tuesday.
Matheny made a verbal commitment to Missouri State, picking coach Keith Guttin's Bears over Texas Christian, Missouri, East Tennessee State and interest from several other schools.
"They called me a lot, and they've been pursuing me," Matheny said. "I went and visited, loved the school and loved the campus and the facilities. Coach Guttin is one of the best in the business."
Matheny, 17, is the son of former Major League catcher Mike Matheny. He is the fourth St. Louis area prospect in the graduating Class of 2012 to make a commitment to Missouri State.
Matheny follows Hazelwood Central outfielder Matt Dezort, Eureka pitcher/first baseman Matt Hasenbeck and Hazelwood Central pitcher Jonathan Harris in having made commitments.
"I've heard a lot of good things about this class coming in," said Matheny, a 6-foot, 180-pound center fielder. "Hopefully we can do something special and maybe take this team to Omaha and put Missouri State on the map."
In addition to playing with the Rawlings Prospects this summer, Matheny attended a Perfect Game showcase in Florida, USA baseball tryouts in North Carolina, a Midwest Scouting event in Kansas City and the prestigious Area Code Games in California.
"It's been a hectic summer, but it's been good," he said. "I learned a lot about myself as a player. I'm really excited to get ready for college."
Matheny is a two-time Post-Dispatch All-Metro first-team selection.
The speedy right-handed hitter helped the Wildcats capture the Missouri Class 3 championship, the school's first baseball state title, as a junior, when he batted .505 (54 hits in 107 at-bats) with eight doubles, 10 triples, 10 home runs, 54 RBIs, 53 runs scored, 22 stolen bases and a .583 on-base percentage.
As a sophomore, Matheny batted .551 (59 hits in 107 at-bats) with nine doubles, seven triples, five home runs, 45 RBIs, 37 runs scored and a .586 OBP.
