Hanging curveballs don't stand a chance against Plymouth's Priebe

May 6, 2010, 11:45 a.m.

  Matt Priebe's name has been penciled into the heart of the Plymouth High School baseball team's batting order for four of the eight seasons the school has had a varsity squad -- and he has delivered.

  The senior is just one home run away from tying Brad Lineberry for the school record in round-trippers. In addition to being  a dangerous hitter, he also pitches for the 'Cats and plays a solid first base.

  In the fall, Priebe has served as a productive offensive lineman for Plymouth's football program, earning All-Conference honors in 2008.

  Priebe took a couple minutes after practice Tuesday afternoon to talk with PlymouthCantonSports.com's Ed Wright.

ED WRIGHT: Of the home runs you've hit in high school, which ones are your most memorable?

MATT PRIEBE: Probably my most memorable is the one I hit against Canton my sophomore year, just because it was against our biggest rival. Another one I'll always remember came in my freshman year. It was a two-run home run that tied it late in the game against Walled Lake Central, which was coached by my travel team's coach. I'll never let him live that down (smile).

EW: What are you most proud of when you look back on your high school baseball career?

MP: Probably being accepted by the guys on the team my freshman year. I got respect from the older guys pretty early. I was one of them, which was nice.

EW: Of all the players you've played with, who has had the most positive impact on you?

MP: Ronnie Goble. He's a good guy and a good friend, too. He sets a positive example for everybody.

EW: What are you going to miss the most about high school baseball once your career is over?

MP: This field. This field is amazing, especially for a high school field. I'm going to miss all the people I've played with and gotten to know over the years, too. I've met so many people, even a lot of the umpires know me. It will be weird leaving all that behind.

EW: How has this season gone?

MP: Going into the season, I wasn't expecting a whole lot because we were only returning a couple of guys from last year's team. Plus, we have a new coach, so we had to adjust to that. But it's gone pretty well. We're not exactly where I wanted us to be yet, but we're getting there.

EW: What's your most memorable pitching performance?

MP: My freshman year I started against Stevenson when they had one of their loaded teams. I pitched the whole game and suffered a heart-breaking loss in the seventh inning, but that was probably my best pitching performance.

EW: What's your favorite pitch to hit?

MP: I don't know if I can reveal that to the press (laughter). No, I'd have to say hanging curve balls -- and I like fastballs.

EW: How'd football go this season?

MP: It was good. I started at left guard and then a couple games into the season our center got hurt, so they moved me to center. We had a really big line last season.

EW: What does your future hold as far as baseball goes?

MP: I'm going to attend Grand Rapids Community College for two years and then I'm looking  at playing at either Central Michigan University or Grand Valley.

EW: What advice would you give to a young kid who wanted to be a good high school hitter?

MP: I'd tell him you can't just go out there and expect to start hitting. You have to work hard in the off-season, hitting off a tee, doing soft toss. If you work hard in the off-season and work on your swing just about every day, you should be fine.