Just 24 hours after Villanova's Kris Jenkins hit the game winning three at the buzzer to knock off North Carolina in the National Championship game down in Houston, Villanova alum Matt Szczur was getting ready to make his first start of the 2016 season for the Chicago Cubs.
Cubs skipper Joe Maddon spoke to media members about the lineup change that featured the Villanova alum, “Villanova wins the national championship, so I thought it was a good bet for tonight."
Szczur’s play didn’t disappoint either. On Monday night, he accounted for a three run double and on Tuesday he blasted a leadoff homerun in the top of the third while also singling in the seventh and scoring another run.
Szczur's time at Villanova
Szczur attended Villanova from 2007-2010 where he played wide receiver, quarterback and running back for the football team while also playing centerfield for the baseball program. During his time playing football for the Wildcats he gained 270 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns in a winning effort in the 2009 Division I FCS National Championship Game helping the them capture their first NCAA Football Championship.
He was named MVP of the title game. Szczur was also a consensus All-American and 2009 CAA Offensive Player of the Year. In 2011, Szczur had a decision to make as his college career was nearing an end, baseball or football? He chose baseball. The Chicago Cubs wound up drafting him in fifth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft (160th overall), he ended up signing an agreement with the team and would forgo any future football career possibilities to play professional baseball.
He was named MVP of the title game. Szczur was also a consensus All-American and 2009 CAA Offensive Player of the Year. In 2011, Szczur had a decision to make as his college career was nearing an end, baseball or football?
He chose baseball.
The Chicago Cubs wound up drafting him in fifth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft (160th overall), he ended up signing an agreement with the team and would forgo any future football career possibilities to play professional baseball.
Szczur played in a total of 25 games for three different teams in the Chicago Cubs organization after being drafted during the summer of 2010, most of his time was with the Boise Hawks of the Short Season Class A Northwest League, he played in 18 games for Boise, six for the Class A Peoria Chiefs and one for the Rookie level AZL Cubs.
While batting safely in each of his first 21 games as a professional player, including his one game with the AZL Cubs, all 18 games in Boise and the first two games in Peoria. Between all three teams Szczur combined hit .347 (35-101) with a .414 on-base percentage and a .465 slugging percentage, scoring 24 runs,10 RBI’s and collected 10 doubles and one triple. Ever since he has been on the rise and the Cubs will most certainly benefit in 2016 and beyond from his unbelievable talent.