Peabody's finest, Hosman, commits to UMass

Matt Hosman. I'm sure you've heard that name before since Hosman was the one who hit the walk-off grand slam sending Peabody to Williamsport in 2009. However, Matt continued to progress as a player as he announced that he has committed to UMass-Amherst via his twitter account on Tuesday night.

"@MattHosman24: Blessed to be verbally committed to play Division 1 baseball at Umass Amherst #A10"

Hosman, who attends Phillips Andover, has been a three year starter at Phillips and has own two New England titles during his time there. He also plays basketball there as well, but according to Matt he isn't one of their top players. Earlier this summer, Matt was chosen to the First Team Perfect Game All American at their academic showcase. Matt played his summer ball with the 18U New England Ruffnecks.

We caught up with "Hoz" and asked him some questions.

Why did you choose UMass? Did anything stick out when you visited?
"I chose UMass for several reasons. They have a very good program for my major, business. The Atlantic 10 conference is a very good conference. When I visited, I felt like the facilities (locker room, weight room, and training room) would help give me the best opportunity to get better. The coaching staff is very knowledgeable and they felt like I fit into their game plan very well."

What are you looking forward to the most at UMass?
"I am looking forward to the overall experience that UMass offers and the chance to be a part of a team that continually performs well in the Beanpot and against New England teams, and then is competitive with teams from the South and throughout the A10. "


Is here anything you want to work on before you get to campus?
"I want to gain strength before arriving on campus. I think that is the thing I need to work on the most. I want to continue to be a team guy first while always jumping at opportunities to get better."

Have you had a special coach or family member that has led you to this great accomplishment?
"My father was a huge help to me during my baseball career. I have a batting cage in my backyard, and my dad is always willing to throw me BP. He has been nothing but supportive. He coached me through Little League, but when I got to middle school age, he let me go on my own and learn from coaches that were not him. I've had a lot of influential coaches during my high school career. The confidence he gave to me all throughout my career helped me to improve an incredible amount. My mother is a schoolteacher and she has always demanded that I do well academically. She is part of the reason I took on the challenges of Phillips Andover. She always made sure that I did my academic work before baseball came into the picture. Last summer, I played for Legends Baseball and coach Ryan Leahy. He pushed every one of us to become better, and he expected the best. I grew so much as a player and a person that summer. This summer, I played for the Ruffnecks and Coaches Matt Blake and Kevin Casey. They gave me ample opportunity to work on my game and believed in my abilities the whole summer. My high school coach Kevin Graber is perhaps the most influential. Being at a boarding school, he takes on so many more roles than just a coach. He is an advisor, a house counselor, and an admissions officer. He lives right on campus, so it is easy to access him at all times, and his door is always wide open for us. "
What has been your biggest moment throughout your baseball career?
"My biggest moment was probably winning the league title at Holy Cross freshman year. Being a big part of a championship team right away was special to me. We went on to win another championship sophomore year and we have one last chance this spring."