After delivering a commanding performance on the mound on March 28, at Cal Poly Pomona (CPP), Matthew O’Brien, a senior pitcher for the University of California, Riverside’s (UCR) baseball team, has been named the Student-Athlete of the Week.
O’Brien was given the honor following an impressive complete-game performance in UCR’s win over CPP. Not only is this a monumental performance from O’Brien, but this was also the program’s first complete game from a pitcher since 2022. Across all nine innings the left-hander maintained composure and control, shutting down CPP’s lineup, giving his team the opportunity to build momentum early.
Despite such a strong achievement, his mindset never wavered from a typical game day.
“Every game I have the same mindset: just go one inning at a time, get out of that inning, and move onto the next,” O’Brien said. “Our offense scored a lot early, which made it easier to settle in and do my job.”
Having a steady mindset is just the approach that has brought the team to where they are at now. When asked about his goals for his senior season, O’Brien explained that it was less about individual goals and more about the early goals the team had made together.
“It was more about team goals, we want to make the Big West tournament,” commented O’Brien. More specifically, securing a top five finish in the Big West, which would earn them a spot in the Big West Baseball Championship.
As the team enters the second half of the season, O’Brien believes that he and the team are moving in the right direction, while still acknowledging the room for growth and improvement.
“I still have work to do,” commented O’Brien. “That is something [staff and I] talked a lot about. But if we clean up a few things each game, we definitely have a shot to make the tournament.”
As the Big West standings continue to stay consistent, every game matters more and more, as they currently sit dead last in conference. Even so, the confidence within the team continues to grow, constantly being fueled by strong leadership from the coaching staff.
“Our coaches have a lot of confidence in us, and that makes it easier to play freely,” said O’Brien.
As he reflected on his time at UCR, he noted that while his junior season had its challenges, this year’s team has shown even greater potential.
“This team is super fun, and I think we are better than we were last year, we still have a lot to play for,” explained O’Brien.
With a remarkable performance already under his belt and clear goals set ahead, Matthew O’Brien has continued to prove to be a key piece as the Highlanders continue to push into the second half of the season.
