BRIDGEWATER, Va. - In his five seasons with the Eagles' baseball team, Matthew LaPrade evolved from a seldom-used outfielder into a force in the middle of the Bridgewater batting order.
After getting just two at-bats in his first year in the program, LaPrade earned a spot in a platoon role as a left-handed hitting outfielder. In 95 at-bats as a sophomore, the Baltimore, Md., native hit .347 while belting three home runs.
After missing his junior season with a knee injury, LaPrade, a Baltimore,Md. native, returned to the Eagles and hit .267 in 97 at-bats during the 2019 campaign.
This spring, LaPrade was off to a torrid start, hitting .400 with 13 RBIs in 13 games. His grand-slam homer against Moravian on the Spring Break trip broke open a close game and propelled the Eagles to an 18-5 victory. He was also a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate in a loss to Christopher Newport.
After missing a year with the injury, LaPrade knew he wanted to come back for his fifth season if possible.
"I knew I wanted to come back," he said. "For me, I wanted to play four years of college baseball. I wanted to finish what I started."
The fifth year took an unexpected turn when long-time head coach Curt Kendall decided to step away from the program, meaning LaPrade and the rest of the seniors would be playing their final year for a new coach.
"I remember when Coach Kendall told the team, I was shocked. I think the whole team was a little shell-shocked," LaPrade said. "I felt a little anxiety, trying to figure Coach (Ben) Spotts out, trying to figure out what he wanted from his players. Coach Spotts is intense, but it's a good intensity. He wants to win and he wants to see his players get better."
LaPrade wasn't with the Eagles during the fall season so head coach Ben Spotts had to learn in a hurry how LaPrade might impact the team. "I didn't know a whole lot about Matt," Spotts admitted. "But, he was another steady, veteran guy for us. A lefthanded hitter, he could hit left on left, it didn't matter. He could play anywhere in the outfield. He was an everyday player for us."
LaPrade also performed in the classroom, twice being honored on the ODAC All-Academic team. He majored in business administration with an emphasis in marketing. He hopes to land a job in the marketing field.
"Ideally, I hope to find a job in my field, working in sports marketing," LaPrade said. "Since I was 3 or 4 years old, sports have always been a big part of my life. If possible, I want to keep my passion for sports going in the job field."
Although his final season was cut short, seeing the team start the season with an 11-4 record, validated his decision to seek a fifth year in the baseball program.
"There's definitely a good sense of satisfaction for myself and, I think, the rest of the seniors knowing that we were playing well and winning games," LaPrade said. "The program's in good hands with Coach Spotts and the coaching staff. I think going forward you're going to see Bridgewater baseball back to winning games.
"I definitely didn't want things to end the way they did, but I'm glad I came back and was able to experience this team starting to realize some of its potential."
