LOVES PARK, Ill. – The Rockford Rivets are adding yet another NCAA Division I pitcher.
The Rivets announced Tuesday that Louisiana Tech righthander Matt Miller will join the team for the Northwoods League season, which begins in just five weeks. Miller, a junior from Aurora, is a transfer from Heartland Community College in Normal.
Rivets manager Brian Smith said Miller will probably slot into a bullpen role similar to his current one with the Bulldogs.
“He has been bitten by the injury bug the last few seasons so we'll be working with Matt everyday to make sure we keep him healthy and strong,” Smith said. “When Matt is healthy, like he is now, he is the definition of a ‘bulldog.’ Hopefully Matt, along with a few others, can take their mentalities and overall pitchability to shorten our games. Locking down the 7-8-9 innings is never easy but with some experience at school, Matt can step right in and make an impact to the back end of the bullpen.”
Through his first 11 appearances, one as a starter, Miller is 1-1 with a 5.51 ERA. He’s struck out 13 and walked 12 in 16 1/3 innings. He’s the seventh current Division I pitcher announced by the Rivets.
The Rivets’ season begins May 30 at Kalamazoo. The home opener is at 6:35 p.m. June 1 against the Wisconsin Woodchucks. The Rivets are offering a $50 four-game pack that includes a replica Rivets jersey, tickets to four select games and all-you-can-eat food (burgers, brats, hot dogs, grilled chicken, popcorn and fountain soda) for the following dates: Friday, June 2; Saturday, June 24; Friday, July 14; Friday, July 28. The four-pack can be purchased only by calling the Rivets at 815.240.4159 or in person at the Rivets Stadium box office. There are a limited number of jerseys available, so don’t wait to order this four-pack.
The Rockford Rivets are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League, which will play its 24th season of summer collegiate baseball in 2017. The Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, 160 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals), two-time World Champion Ben Zobrist (Chicago Cubs) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (Boston Red Sox), Jordan Zimmermann (Detroit Tigers), Curtis Granderson (New York Mets) and Lucas Duda (Mets). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website, NorthwoodsLeague.com.