ST. LOUIS – The Cardinals may not be in the World Series, but St. Louis baseball fans still have something to cheer for this November.
His name is Matt Vierling.
“That’s his senior year right there,” CBC Head Baseball Coach Mason Horne says as he points to a photo in his office.
The team in the picture? The 2015 state champion Cadets baseball team.
“Time’s flying man,” Horne says with a smile.
It sure is.
Seven years ago, a young Matt Vierling, alongside his brother Mark, led the 2015 CBC Cadets baseball team to the program’s first title in five years. His efforts earned him divison-one college scholarships and a 30th round MLB Draft selection by the St. Louis Cardinals.
“I knew that he had a good chance to earn a college scholarship,” Matt’s father Dan Vierling said. “By the time he was a senior, he was an All-American.”
In a surprise move, Vierling chose to forgo the opportunity to play for his hometown team, electing to join the Notre Dame Fighting Irish baseball program instead.
“I just got a feeling,” Vierling said of his decision back in 2015.
His gamble paid off.
In his sophomore season, Vierling earend All-ACC honors, leading the irish in batting average (.330), slugging percentage (.549), RBI (42) and homers (7). HIs performance earned him a fifth-round selection by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Much like his college days, Vierling’s second season is where he established himself as a regular on the Phillies roster, appearing in 117 games for Philadelphia.
His success, along with the success of the franchise, led him on a collision course with the St. Louis Cardinals in a 2022 playoff Wild Card series.
“I’m sure there will be some emotions,” Vierling said before game 1 of the series.
He was right but, for the Phillies, most of those emotions were positive.
The Phillies swept the Cardinals in two games, beginning an unlikely run to the World Series.
“I alwasy root for the Carinals,” Matt’s father Dan said. “But at that point, I had to root for my son.”
The Phillies now face a 7-game series against the Houston Astros, featuring CBC alum Matt Vierling representing his hometown on baseball’s biggest stage.