CINCINNATI, Ohio – As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the NCAA Division III World Series, D3baseball.com, the premier media outlet covering Division III baseball, unveiled its 50th Anniversary Golden Team, recognizing the greatest players in Division III baseball history.
Mount St. Joseph University was represented by one of the most accomplished pitchers in program history, as Steve Matre earned First Team honors as a relief pitcher. Matre was the only player from the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference selected to the prestigious team.
Already cemented as one of the greatest student-athletes in Mount St. Joseph history, Matre was inducted into the Mount St. Joseph Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023 and was previously recognized as the university's top male athlete of the 2000s.
Matre starred for the Lions from 2007-10, helping lead the program to an 84-44 overall record. Serving primarily as the team's closer, he quickly established himself as one of the nation's elite relievers.
As a freshman, Matre logged 37.0 innings, allowing just eight earned runs while striking out 39 batters to finish with a 1.95 ERA. His poise and dominance earned him the ball in the biggest moment of the season, recording the final outs of Mount St. Joseph's Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship victory over Anderson University.
His sophomore campaign remains one of the finest seasons ever produced by a Division III closer. Matre threw 32 innings, surrendered only 17 hits and three earned runs, struck out 39 batters, and recorded 10 saves. His remarkable season earned him Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player honors as well as D3baseball.com All-America recognition.
Matre elevated his game even further as a junior, leading all of Division III with 13 saves while allowing just one earned run throughout the season. Over 22 innings, he gave up only 10 hits and struck out 32 batters, earning his second consecutive D3baseball.com All-America selection.
Unfortunately, the final pitch of his junior season also became the final pitch of his collegiate career. Following the season, Matre underwent Tommy John surgery. With the opportunity to pursue professional baseball following his rehabilitation, Matre made the decision to begin his professional journey rather than return for his senior season.
Former Mount St. Joseph Head Baseball Coach Chuck Murray, who coached Matre throughout his historic career with the Lions, reflected on the impact Matre made both on the field and within the program.
"Steve is the most dominant closer I've seen in all my years around baseball. His accomplishments on the field are many, but as great a player he was, he was even a better player and teammate. I'm very proud to have been his Coach."
That decision to pursue professional baseball paid off when Matre was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 39th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. He went on to spend two seasons in the Dodgers' organization.
Tom Keefe of the Los Angeles Dodgers and a longtime friend and supporter of Mount St. Joseph Baseball had the opportunity to scout Matre as a high school player at Purcell Marian and throughout his career with the Lions. Keefe, along with Marty Lamb, helped evaluate Matre before the Dodgers selected him in the 2010 MLB Draft.
"Steve Matre's First Team selection to the NCAA's Division III's 50th anniversary baseball team is a remarkable achievement for him and Mount St. Joseph Baseball. Marty Lamb and I had the great pleasure of scouting him as a high schooler at Purcell Marian and for three years at the Mount. When we drafted him in 2010, we knew we were getting a very special athlete and person. This honor certainly validates that decision. Our sincerest congratulations to an all-time great, his family and coaches."
Despite appearing in only three collegiate seasons, Matre finished his career as Mount St. Joseph's all-time saves leader with 32, a mark that stood just two saves shy of the NCAA Division III career record at the time. His career 1.19 earned run average remains the best in program history.
Now, with his selection to the D3baseball.com 50th Anniversary Golden Team, Matre adds another remarkable accomplishment to a career that ranks among the greatest ever produced by a Division III baseball player and one of the finest in Mount St. Joseph Athletics history.