By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor

If RHP/OF Matt Vierling (Christian Brothers College HS, MO) was supposed to be playing catch up with his peers, he didn’t get the memo. The Notre Dame recruit didn’t travel the country last summer and fall, playing in front of dozens of scouts as they analyzed his draft stock. Instead, he was at home rehabbing and looking ahead to the spring.

Playing for the St. Louis Gamers in Memphis on June 6, Vierling drew a walk and advanced to second base. He then stole third. The game had been delayed from heavy rains and the turf at Memphis University School was saturated. Vierling took a normal slide into third base, but the conditions were anything but normal.

“Because of the rain, I just flew,” Vierling said. “I slid on my right leg and my right ankle caught the edge of the base and I just kept going. My ankle stayed right there and my body slid right over it.”