The 2008 season marks the first for Matt Horwath as the UCF Director of Baseball Operations. He joins the baseball staff after having his best season in a Knight uniform in 2007. Below are some highlights of his playing career:
2007 (Senior): Selected to the C-USA All-Academic Team...Posted a whopping .397 batting average in C-USA games, scoring 14 runs and holding a .603 slugging percentage and a .477 on-base percentage...After playing through an injury early in the year, starting busting out in the UAB series (March 30-31)...Completed senior year with a .336 overall average at the dish in 41 games, including 37 starts, mostly at DH and as the leadoff hitter...Netted a .476 slugging percentage with 13 doubles, two triples and a homer...Banged out four hits and had three RBI in the C-USA Championship (May 23-25)...Had an 11-game hitting streak April 24-May 13, going 23-for-47 (.489) with 13 runs scored...Earned two hits and scored a run at Stetson (May 8)...Had at least two hits and a run scored in seven-straight games (April 24-May 5)...Notched two hits and scored a run in first two games at Memphis (May 4-5)..Banged out three hits, including two doubles, and scored twice vs. Stetson (May 2)...Earned NCBWA Pro-Line National Hitter of the Week and C-USA Hitter of the Week honors by going 11-for-16 (.688) with eight runs and a 1.375 slugging percentage in four wins April 24-29...Posted a 3-for-5 affair with a triple and two runs vs. Tulane (April 29)...Went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and a RBI vs. Tulane (April 28)...Hit for the cycle, UCF first in program history, in a 4-for-4 effort against Tulane (April 27), which set a personal-best for hits in a game and also included first-career triple...Was 2-for-3 with a double, two walks and two runs scored vs. USF (April 24)...Banged out two hits and scored a run at USF (April 17)...Went on an eight-game hitting streak March 25-April 8, going 10-for-22 (.455) over that stretch...Connected for two hits, swiped a base and scored a run vs. Southern Miss (April 7)...Racked up three hits, including two doubles, in game one at UAB (March 31).
2006 (Junior): Started 26 games at second, six at DH and four at shortstop...Went .265 at the plate with 22 runs scored and 18 RBI...Had a .444 average when leading off an inning...Collected two hits and scored twice vs. Siena (March 17)...Was 2-for-4 with a run scored in game two of the Siena series (March 18)...Had a 2-for-4 affair with a pair of runs scored at TCU (March 25)...Went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored in 18-1 rout of Marshall (March 31)...Notched two hits and three RBI in series finale vs. the Thundering Herd (April 2)...Made two spectacular defensive plays in the series opener vs. East Carolina (April 7)...Belted a two-run homer and had two walks at No. 23 Tulane (April 15)...Ripped a solo homer in the final game of the Tulane series (April 16).
2005 (Sophomore): Started 48 of 49 games played...Hit .276 with eight home runs and 35 RBI...Led team with a .467 on-base percentage and was second on the club with 44 walks, while .513 slugging percentage ranked third on the squad...Had 12 stolen bases in 14 attempts and committed just two errors in the field...Made eight starts at second base, five at shortstop, two in centerfield, eight in rightfield and 25 as the team[apos]s DH...Team was 7-1 when Horwath started at second...Missed the first six games of the season with a wrist injury...Had a hit with three walks and an RBI in first game as a Golden Knight vs. Florida A&M (Feb. 18)...Was 2-for-4 with a run scored vs. No. 20 Notre Dame (Feb. 20)...Cranked out three hits with a home run, five RBI and three runs scored in series opener vs. Campbell (March 11)...Was 2-for-4 with a two-run dinger and two runs scored vs. Jacksonville (March 28)...Hit one home run in each of the three games at Stetson to extend consecutive home run streak to four games ...Collected two hits and three RBI in game two of the Stetson series (April 2)...Went 2-for-4 with a career-high four runs in series finale (April 3)...Belted two home runs and had four RBI and three runs scored at Belmont (April 15)...Walked four times in game two of the FAU series (April 30)...Had a solo home run and two walks at Troy (May 6).
Prior to UCF: Started first eight games at shortstop in 2003 for LSU before missing the rest of the season with a shoulder injury...Was awarded a medical redshirt in 2003...Appeared in 26 games, starting 17 for LSU as a redshirt freshman in 2004...Hit .246 with one home run and nine RBI...Lone home run came at Jay Bergman Field vs. UCF...Product of Lake Mary High School, playing with current Golden Knight Tyson Auer...All-state, all-conference and all-district honoree at Lake Mary...Led team to conference and regional championships...Did not play as a senior after undergoing Tommy John surgery...Entering senior season, had a .411 (113-for-275) career average with 32 doubles, four triples, six homers, 82 runs and 61 RBI...Struck out only 19 times in 275 at-bats...Member of the National Honor Society and the Latin Honor Society...Recipient of the Citizenship Award.
Personal: Matthew James Horwath was born in Somers Pointe, N.J....Son of Bill and Sue Horwath...Has two younger sisters, Lauren and Hannah...Graduated in the spring of 2007 with a bachelor[apos]s degree in accounting.