THE FLATS – Former Georgia Tech baseball standout and four-time Major League Baseball all-star Matt Wieters returns to The Flats in pursuit of finishing his degree and will join the Yellow Jackets’ staff as an undergraduate assistant coach, it was announced Thursday.
“I am excited to announce that Matt Wieters, a four-time MLB all-star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner has joined our staff as a student assistant coach,” Tech head coach Danny Hall said. “He will be instrumental in player development for pitchers, hitters and, obviously, catching. I’m excited to use his experience of playing in the MLB for over 10 years with Baltimore, Washington, and St. Louis to enhance our players’ development.”
Wieters was the fifth selection overall out of Georgia Tech in the 2007 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles. A renowned catcher, Wieters went on to play eight years with Baltimore, making four all-star teams and earning two Gold Gloves. He then finished his 12-year professional career with two years in Washington and two years in St. Louis. He finished with a .249 career average, recording 996 hits, 190 doubles, 146 home runs and 550 RBI.
Matt Wieters (above) was a two-time All-American as both a catcher and relief pitcher at Georgia Tech, earning ACC Rookie of the Year honors and helping the Yellow Jackets to the College World Series in 2006. He was drafted fifth overall in 2007 by the Baltimore Orioles and would go on to be a four-time MLB All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner.
Behind the dish, Wieters topped the American League multiple years in putouts as catcher, double plays turned as catcher, twice in fewest errors committed as catcher and was top-five in runners caught stealing four years.
“I am honored and grateful to be back at Tech as the student assistant,” Wieters said. “Georgia Tech has helped shape me into the man I am today, and I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with the players to help them on and off the field.”
A two-time first-team All-American, Wieters had a terrific career at Georgia Tech as both a catcher and relief pitcher. Named the ACC Rookie of the Year and a freshman All-American, the Charleston, S.C. native broke out of the gates with a .366 average and six saves on the mound his first year in college. He helped lead the Jackets to the 2005 ACC Championship, getting two wins on the mound in the tournament. Tech then made back-to-back NCAA Super Regionals before clinching a berth in the College World Series in 2006.
During his final year on The Flats, Wieters was named a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award (national catcher of the year) and semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award (nation’s top amateur) and Brooks Wallace Award (nation’s most valuable player).
Wieters was inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
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