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Pitcher has challenging curve

BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW [email protected] At six-foot-four and tipping the scales at about 210 pounds, Matthew Braumberger has an imposing big frame, but he?s also big on potential.
BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW

At six-foot-four and tipping the scales at about 210 pounds, Matthew Braumberger has an imposing big frame, but he?s also big on potential.

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Matthew braumberger heading to Kansas on baseball scholarship
The 17-year-old Sudbury native is heading to Friends University of Central Kansas to play baseball in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) after accepting a scholarship from the institution early this year.

Braumberger has been playing the last two seasons for the Ontario Blue Jays, an elite travelling team. He has also been a dominating force.

?I haven?t given up one home run in all my time pitching elite level baseball,? said Braumberger. ?I take a lot of pride from that because almost every other pitcher at this level gives up home runs.?

Braumberger knows it?s his low pitch delivery, power and control that have contributed to his dominating skill.

?I have an 86 m/ph fastball that I can place anywhere I want,? said Braumberger. ?My new university coach thinks I will be able to throw over 90 m/ph by my second year with the proper strength conditioning program.?

Braumberger is more than just a fireball thrower, who blows fastballs by helpless batters.

?I consider myself to be a smart pitcher because I use all my pitches,? said Braumberger. ?I deliver my pitches in a carefully thought out order and specialize them for every batter.?

Braumberger has four main pitches in his awesome arsenal. The fastball, slider, change up and the curveball. He also likes the breaking ball.

?It?s great when you strike a guy out with the breaking ball,? said Braumberger. ?It always makes the batter look like he?s never swung a bat in his life.?

Friends University baseball head coach, Mark Carvalho is exciting about getting the raw and impressive Braumberger.

?He?s a big, young kid with even bigger potential,? said Carvalho. ?We don?t want to put too much pressure, but down the road we know he?ll be able to do great things. It will be a tremendous opportunity for him?

Although Braumberger is hoping his performance at Friends University propels him into the Major League Baseball draft, he has his sights set on obtaining an education.

?Getting an education is the number one thing for me,? said Braumberger. ?They have great academic programs at the school.?

Braumberger will enrol in the health sciences program.

?I want to take physiotherapy and sports medicine because I did a high school co-op placement at the Brady
Physiotherapy Centre and I loved it,? said Braumberger. ?If I could get into a work environment with that same kind of atmosphere for the rest of my life, I would be happy.?

Braumberger has been playing baseball since he was four years old. He first started to gain recognition when the Atlanta Braves held a scouting camp in Sudbury when he was in Grade 9.

A Braves scout and head coach of the Ontario Blue Jays, Dan Bleiwas tapped Braumberger for a spot on the Jays under-16 team. He never looked back.

Playing two years for the under-16 team and another year on the under-17 team has been a rewarding experience for Braumberger.

The Lasalle Secondary graduate knows baseball has helped him in everyday life.

?Baseball has been everything to me and it has helped me in life and with school.?

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