Matthew Liberatore will graduate from Mountain Ridge at the end of this season but has one main goal before that.

“My biggest goal this year is to help bring Mountain Ridge their first state championship in school history,” Liberatore said.

Liberatore started playing baseball at a very young age and has stuck with it ever since.

“My parents put me in basically every sport when I was younger, and I played T-ball when I was three.  They said that baseball was the game that started to click with me, I kept wanting to play and ever since I have loved it,” Liberatore said.

Liberatore credits two people with helping him to become the player he is today.

“Honestly, I’d say my trainer and pitching coach John Huizinga and my dad, but John has taught me everything I know and I owe a lot to him,” Liberatore said.

Liberatore sets himself apart from other pitchers because he does not just focus on the physical part of baseball.

“I’d say aside from the physical stuff, my pitching coach and I do a lot of mental training.  Looking at stuff in batter’s swings, mound presence, and the way we carry ourselves.  I think there is a lot more that goes into the game than just the physical part.  I think that’s the part that a lot of people don’t appreciate and I’d say that is what has taken my game to the next level,” Liberatore said.

Liberatore has a great arsenal of pitches and uses all of them to overwhelm batters he faces.

“That’s tough to say because a lot of it depends on the count, who I’m facing, and what the situation is.  But, I feel like my fastball has a ton of movement, my curveball is a wipeout pitch and also over the summer and into spring my changeup has become another wipeout pitch.  I feel like depending on the situation any of my pitches could be my wipeout pitch,” Liberatore said.

Liberatore models his pitching style after a few current Major League Baseball players.

“Mechanically I wouldn’t say there is anyone I would be really closely compared to, but the way they play the game, Aroldis Chapman, Max Scherzer, and Marcus Stroman. Just the passion and intensity they bring to the game they kind of mentally intimidate guys before they get in the box, I love that kind of stuff and definitely try to bring that to my game,” Liberatore said.

His proudest accomplishment is winning a gold medal this summer in Canada with the United States 18-U team.

“I would probably say the USA experience this summer, winning a gold medal.  Nothing compares to representing your country.”

Liberatore going into this season has already made an impact with his coaches and faculty.

“He has helped to improve our program.  He is a game-changer on the field, he makes the fans more confident, his teammates are more confident.  He is a dominant player,” Mountain Ridge athletic director Junior Michael said.

“Matthew is a great leader. For example, we were talking in a team meeting regarding the scouts coming to watch him, he stopped the meeting and asked if he could talk.  And stood up and told everyone that it’s about winning a state championship and to me that shows tremendous leadership skills,” Mountain Ridge head coach Artie Cox said.

Liberatore is committed to play baseball at the University of Arizona next year.

“I actually took about a year and a quarter to make that decision, I visited 10 D-1 schools.  I didn’t want to be the kid who committed to a school because they wowed me when I was there and six months later wondering what else is out there and de-committing.  I wanted to make sure I committed to a school because that is where I want to be, where I want to play and develop and win a national championship,” Liberatore said.