Huskies ace Matt Osterberg selected by Philadelphia Phillies in 2021 MLB Amateur Draft
7/13/2021 12:20:00 PM | Baseball
St. Cloud State University lefthanded pitcher Matt Osterberg became the 15th player in program history to be selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Fifteenth round, pick number 445 on Tuesday's Day Three.Â
"Being drafted means the world to me," Osterberg said, "This was a goal I set for myself long before I ever thought it was possible and it's amazing to see all the hard work and long hours come to fruition."
Osterberg joins Najee Gaskins (Giants-2019), Kyle Fischer (2014-Marlins), Jordan Smith (2011-Indians), Brian Hansen (2011-Indians) and David Deminsky (2010-Twins) as the sixth SCSU player to be drafted in the Pat Dolan era.
"Obviously we are all just very excited for Matt and his family!" said Huskies head coach Pat Dolan, "He's put a heck of a lot of work in coming in as a 160-pound skinny, raw pitcher topping out in the low 80s four years ago to developing into a pro body and a pro draft pick. I really think he has a chance to move up the ladder with his arm strength and mid-90s fastball combined with his work ethic and composure on the mound."
"Getting drafted is pretty special especially now with only 20 rounds," St. Cloud State assistant coach Rob "Doc" Swendra said, "You have to be one of the 612 players picked in the country. So, Matt getting drafted in the fifteenth round by the Phillies is great. I'm very proud of what Matt has accomplished, and I'm looking forward to watching him at the professional level!"
Originally from Coleman, Wisconsin, Osterberg made nine starts for SCSU this spring working to a 3.78 ERA and 2.76 FIP across 50.0 innings of work with a 70:22 K:BB ratio. Osterberg allowed just 38 hits for a .208 opponent average and a .610 opponent OPS, leading the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in batting average against at the conclusion of the regular season. Featuring a blistering fastball sitting 91-93 mph and topping out at 95 paired with a plus slider along with a curveball and a changeup, the lefthander dominated hitters to a 27.1% career strikeout rate. He earned NCBWA Central Region and NSIC Pitcher of the Week honors after he turned in his finest outing of the 2021 season in his weekend start against No. 24 Minnesota-Crookston, working 6.0 shutout innings of one-hit, two-walk baseball on just 82 pitches, striking out a career-high 13 batters on the way to earning his second win. The ace struck out at least eight and pitched into the sixth inning in each of his final six starts as a Husky, punching out double-digit batters in four of the six bumps to close out his St. Cloud State career.
"Osterberg was a pleasure to coach," 2021 Huskies pitching coach Tanner Pruett said, "He knew exactly what he needed to do to be ready for each start and was willing to do whatever the team needed. He's a good pitcher and an even better person. I know wherever he goes he's going to make sure he leaves it all on the table."
Over his four-year Huskies career, Osterberg won 12 games over 35 appearances and 25 starts, tossing 159.2 innings to the tune of a 3.72 ERA and a 3.04 FIP. Working to a 146 ERA+, the lefthander struck out 192 batters and spun a 1.322 WHIP with a .240/.322/.346 opponent slash line.
"I was fortunate to work with Matt for nearly three years at Huskies Baseball and see him develop himself into an elite baseball player and an elite person," said former St. Cloud State pitching coach Kassidy Gaines (2019-20), "He has developed substantially in his collegiate career coming into SCSU as a tall, wiry lefthanded pitcher sitting mid 80s who has now blossomed into an elite 90-95 arm with plus secondary pitches. Along with his arsenal playing at a high level, his strongest attributes have always been the intangibles. He thrives in the big moments because he has always had the natural instincts to not let the biggest moments get the best of him. I'm excited for him and his future at the professional level and I believe he has the tools and mindset to keep playing for a long time."
In his freshman season, Osterberg tossed 42.1 innings in five starts and 13 appearances while posting a 3-1 record. He held a 4.46 ERA while striking out 42 batters and limiting opponents to a .266 batting average. The lefthander began his collegiate career by earning NSIC Pitcher of the Week following his dominant debut on February 17, 2018 at Missouri Western State, striking out five over 4.2 innings of relief to earn the win. He won his first collegiate start on March 25 against Concordia-St. Paul, tossing 6.0 innings and allowing a lone unearned run on two hits and a walk with seven punchouts.
Osterberg broke out with a dominant sophomore campaign as SCSU's top midweek arm in 2019, as he appeared in 11 games with eight starts and worked at a 3.35 ERA over 48.1 innings. The second-year pitcher went 5-2 and held opponents to a .245 average, striking out 56 while walking just 17. He dealt a 21.2 inning scoreless stretch from April 3 to May 11 and won each of his final three regular season starts, tossing 20.1 shutout frames while allowing just 11 hits with a 21:5 K:BB ratio.Â
During his 2019 summer Osterberg joined the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters of the Northwoods League and was named a Northwoods League All-Star after he appeared in 11 games with 10 starts, working 58.0 frames to the tune of a 3.10 ERA. He went 6-2 while striking out 47 and walking just 14 batters.
The lefthander ascended to the role of the Huskies' ace in 2020, going 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA across three starts. He struck out 24 over 19.0 innings while surrendering just six walks. Osterberg fired his first collegiate complete-game shutout on February 25, blanking Northern State over 7.0 innings, scattering three hits and a pair of walks while striking out eight.
This summer he rejoined the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, making five starts and going 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA and a 38:7 K:BB ratio across 28.0 innings. Osterberg concluded his collegiate career by earning Northwoods League Pitcher of the Night Honors on July 29 after dicing up the Madison Mallards on the road with 6.0 frames of five-hit, one-run baseball while striking out 11 batters and walking just two.
The Phillies have until August 1, 2021 to come to an agreement with Osterberg on a signing bonus. St. Cloud State's ace will become the 37th player in the Pat Dolan era to move on to professional baseball.
