Sommo Pitches His Way to the Top

    Matt Sommo was one of those kids that just had the talent growing up so it’s no surprise that he is now the starting pitcher for the successful University of New Haven baseball team. His success goes further than baseball—he is also an avid all-around sports player and enjoys practicing numerous sports when he’s not hurling a baseball at high speeds.

    “Pitching was just something I did since I was young,” says Matt. “When you’re younger, the kids that throw the hardest are the ones that pitch. I love the position because you’re so involved in the game—other positions tend to be boring, but with pitching, you’re always in the game every second.”

    Matt played Little League—during which he threw a perfect game—Babe Ruth, and Legion baseball growing up in Clinton. He was a four-year starter at The Morgan School and was an All-Conference player and captain his junior and senior seasons. He also played basketball growing up and was a three-year starter at Morgan, winning the Shoreline Conference championship his junior year.

    Matt graduated Morgan in 2006 and received a scholarship to play at University of New Haven, a Division II school. He is now a junior studying as a sports management major—with which he’d either like to “work at Shea Stadium or maybe do some scouting.”

    Seeing more than his fair share of success, Matt finished his freshman season at UNH with a 4-2 pitching record and a 4.00 earned run average. He finished last season with a 6-4 average and 3.6 ERA and the team won the conference in the regular season.

    This summer, Matt played in his first year for the NECBL (New England Collegiate Baseball League) in North Adams, Massachusetts. The team is a selection of elite players from around the region that play 40 games throughout the summer against other New England-area teams.

    “It’s been an honor,” says Matt. “All the kids in the league are Division I players and I’ve had a chance to play against them and I know I can compete against them.”

    While in Massachusetts, Matt also worked at the YMCA camp and helped with its baseball clinic along with some other members of his team.

    Matt is currently in the midst of practicing with his UNH team for Fall Ball—a soft schedule that doesn’t count towards its record. The team will play other area universities such as Yale, Brown, and Quinnipiac over the course of the fall season.

    “My coach actually suggested that I do my workout and do some running because I pitched more than 140 innings this past year and he wants me to rest my arm,” says Matt. “So I might be sitting out some of our games this fall to rest.”

Sidelines with Matt Sommo

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

    I enjoy golfing, playing tennis, pick-up basketball, or throwing a football around.

What is your most memorable sports moment?

    My senior year of high school I pitched a no-hitter with 17 strikeouts against Westbrook.