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As a pitcher at St. Louis University, Matt Eckelman was eying a career in the majors before an elbow injury sidelined him during his junior year.

“Sitting out, it was hard at first,” Matt told the St. Louis Dispatch in 2016. “But, I was pretty sure everything would work out.”

He was right. Matt was able to overcome his injury and achieved his dream of playing professional baseball when he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2016.

Matt, a Shawnee, KS native, currently plays in the minor league system and hopes to one day get called up to the big leagues.

During the offseason, Matt is a substitute teacher with MHED. This past year was his first year as a substitute teacher.

“The thing I enjoy most about substitute teaching is changing classrooms and teaching new things each day,” Matt said.

In his spare time, Matt enjoys cooking and spending time with family.

“My family is pretty awesome!” he said. “My mom and dad are huge supporters of what I do, as is the rest of my family. I have two sisters one of which is married. I also have two nieces. They visit me wherever I am playing and are always my number one fans.”