Jose Matias realized that he was flirting with destiny last week, when the Union City High School sophomore took the mound for the seventh inning against Ferris.
“I realized then that I was throwing a no-hitter,” Matias said. “I had no idea before that inning. I was trying not to think about it too much and I just wanted to try to not let them get a hit. Of course, I was nervous. I didn’t know what to think.”
Incredibly, it was Matias’ first start of the season and he was flirting with destiny.
“I knew that he had a real good arm,” said Union City head coach Frank Clark. “I was excited to see what he had.”
Matias played last year as a freshman at Union Hill High School, under current Soaring Eagles assistant Chipper Benway, while Clark was the head coach at Emerson. Matias made a few starts for the Hillers as a freshman, but the game against Ferris was his first opportunity to pitch with the new unified program.
“I knew that Jose could play first, the outfield and pitch for us,” Clark said. “I knew that he was going to be a big help for this team.”
Before the game started, Benway was watching Matias warm up.
“Chip came back and told me that Jose didn’t look good,” Clark said. “He said that he was having trouble with his curveball and that he was going to have to rely on his fastball and changeup. And that’s what he did.”
So for six innings, Matias used his two pitches to keep the Bulldogs without a hit.
“I was just trying to get my location to remain successful,” Matias said. “I never dreamed I could ever pitch a no-hitter.”
After getting three outs in the seventh, the Soaring Eagles had a 4-0 victory and Matias earned a slice of history, becoming the first Union City High School pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter.
“It was amazing,” Matias said. “I couldn’t believe it. I like the idea of being the first one in the school. I never threw a no-hitter before on any level, so I really didn’t know how to react after it happened. I never had that experience before.”
For his efforts, Matias has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week, the first such honoree in the spring scholastic sports season.
Matias would be the first one to tell you that he considers himself a hitter first and a pitcher second. He had a solid freshman season as a hitter for the Hillers and was thinking that his bat would get him a regular position with the new Soaring Eagles.
“I wasn’t worried about playing, but I really thought that I had to prove myself,” Matias said. “I knew the guys on the team since Little League, so even though I was a Union Hill kid, I wasn’t worried at all. I knew most of the guys from Emerson already. But I didn’t know if I was going to play right away. I worked hard to get my chance.”
Clark said that Matias was definitely determined to prove his worth from the outset.
“Jose is very serious about baseball,” Clark said. “It’s the only sport he plays. He is a good physical specimen and has been working hard to improve his body.”
While there’s no doubting Matias’ pitching prowess (he has a no-hit win and a save already for the undefeated Soaring Eagles), his bat is in a bit of an unexpected funk right now.
“He’s been struggling at the plate a little and we’re trying to get him going,” Clark said. “He definitely has the ability.”
“I’m not hitting the way I want to or the way I know I can hit,” Matias said. “I’m struggling, but I’ll snap out of it.”
Clark knows that Matias is just scratching the surface of his immense potential.
“I’m curious to see how big he is going to become,” Clark said. “He’s still young and still has some growing to do. Without question, he has the ability to be a very good player, both as a pitcher and as a position player. He has a tremendous upside and I’m looking forward to working with him. Jose is also a very bright kid and lets his play do the talking. He’s a confident kid, but he’s very quiet about it and very respectful.”
Added Clark, “Not only does Jose have a win and a save already, but he also has the mentality that he wants to take the ball in either role. He’s ready to pitch and that’s a big plus. He’s grown up pretty quickly.”
Matias knows what pitching a no-hitter in his debut can do for him.
“People have always told me that if I keep working on my pitching, I can make it somewhere,” Matias said. “I guess they were right. I know that I can be successful now. This gives me confidence to be a good pitcher. Pitching a no-hitter in my first start makes me realize that I can do it. I just want to keep having the chance to pitch.”
Chances are that no-hit pitchers get other opportunities to throw, especially on the high school level. And the chances are pretty good that we haven’t heard the last of Jose Matias. – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.