Matt James

Height:
6-0
Weight:
203
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Ferndale, Wash.
High School:
Ferndale
Prev School:
Yakima Valley CC
Major:
business management

East Carolina (2020): Played in eight games making one start (DH) … Batted .250 (3-for-12) with a home run, two RBI and one run scored … Made Pirate debut against William & Mary (Feb. 15) as a pinch hitter where he belted his lone home run (a two-run shot) in ECU 11-3 victory … Got first career start at ECU the following day against the Tribe (Feb. 16) as the designated hitter … Collected second hit of the season (single) against Indiana in the Keith LeClair Classic (Feb. 28) … Final hit before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic came at Charlotte (March 7) in the Pirates 15-5 win.

Yakima Valley Community College (2019): Played in 47 games under the direction of head coach Kyle Krustangel … Helped the Yaks to a 30-19 record which included a NWAC East Super Regional Championship … Selected to the Northwest-ABCA/Rawlings All-Regional Team … Named Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) East Regional MVP … Earned First-Team All-NWAC honors after batting .356 (64-for-180) with 12 home runs (conference leader), 51 RBI and scored 49 runs … Swiped 13 of 18 bases … Legged out 13 doubles and a pair of triples to go along with 26 walks … Slugged .650 and owned a .441 on-base percentage … Tallied 117 total bases … Fielded at a .994 clip committing just two errors to go along with 17 assists and 316 putouts (335 total chances) … Registered at least one hit in 36 of 47 games played (multiple 20 times) … Tallied 16 multi-RBI contests … Recorded career-high four hits at SW Oregon (March 10) … Drove in a personal-best four runs in a game twice (Grays Harbor/March 24, at Wenatchee Valley/April 6) … Named All-West Coast League Honorable Mention (2018).

Notre Dame (2018): Appeared in two games during freshman season going 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts … Made collegiate debut as a pinch hitter against St. Joseph’s (March 13).

Ferndale High School: Earned three letters under the direction of Donny Hennigs … Helped the Golden Eagles to a 45-28 three-year record … Two-time first-team all-state selection (2016-17) … Batted .598 with a home run during junior varsity campaign … As a sophomore, batted .417 with a home run and 16 RBI on his way to First-Team All-Northwest Conference honors … Earned first-team all-state and all-conference following junior season where he batted .490 with four home runs and 37 RBI … Closed out prep career hitting at a .440 clip with a pair of home runs and 25 RBI on his way to USA Today First-Team All-USA Washington, second-team all-state, first-team all-conference and NWC MVP accolades … Helped Golden Eagles to a WIAA 3A State Championship appearance … Named to Baseball Northwest Showcase First-Team … Appeared in the All-Academic and Pro Scout Game in the Northwest Showcase … Played travel ball for the Bellingham Bells (2018) under the direction of Bob Miller where he batted .297 with seven home runs and 32 RBI … In 2017 played for Bellingham Post 7 American Legion team under Steve Slesk where he hit at a .440 clip with four home runs and 35 RBI … Earned honor roll status in the classroom all four years … Honor Society member.

Personal: Full name is Matthew Payton James, but prefers to go by Matt … Born in Bellingham, Wash. … Son of Kim and Rob James … Has two siblings (Andrew and Emma) … Intended major is business management … Father was a four-year lettermen (1984-88) at Western Washington University ... Two-time ECU Director of Athletics Honor Roll (Fall 2019, Spring 2020) ... Named to 2020 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team.