Giberti Ready For The Challenges Ahead At Harvard

ROCKY RIVER - In February of 2020 Matthew Giberti went to a camp at Harvard University.

“I loved the campus,” Giberti related. “I loved the baseball program and the coaches. I was blown away. It went up to number one on my list.”

The Ivy League school remained at the top and, now a year later, the Saint Ignatius senior is a college commit.

“During the summer I was sending them video and they got back to me later in the summer,” the third-rated 2021 outfielder in Ohio reflected. “It’s just the perfect fit for me, both baseball-wise and from an academic standpoint.”

A 4.4 GPA along with a 34 ACT score and 1530 on the SAT helped Giberti reach the right fit for the prestigious university in Massachusetts.

“The biggest challenge is going to be managing and balancing school and athletics,” Giberti pointed out. “Finding the right balance to put in the effort on both sides will be tough. The coaching staff does a good job of helping out when it comes to that, with so much more on my shoulders.”

The 5-11 175-pound speedster, who at the recent PBR Ohio Procase had the fastest time in the 60 with a clocking of 6.40, brings a lot to the table when it comes to baseball ability.

“They like my speed, my athleticism and my versatility,” noted Giberti, a former catcher who transitioned to the outfield two years ago to take advantage of his quickness. “They like that I can steal bases and handle the bat and bring a lot of different things to the team.”

The left-handed hitting Giberti enjoyed his time at Harvard while at the camp a year ago.

“I met a lot of guys on the team and picked their brains,” related Giberti, who has family from the area but had never been to Cambridge prior to the camp. “They love being there, not just for baseball but academically. The coaches were interested in who I was as a person. I feel by going there I have a chance to develop and be the best baseball player, person and student I can be.”

Economics is the planned major for Giberti, who pointed to a number of influences in helping get where he is today as a Harvard commit.

“My parents played a huge role in all of this,” Giberti said. “They gave up a lot to allow me to chase my dream. Coach (Brad) Ganor (at Saint Ignatius) really helped with my recruitment and reaching out to a lot of coaches along with coach Adrian (Abrahamowicz) who did a lot to get my name out there and in putting my summer schedule together.”

There was additional help as well.

“I worked hard at T3 (Performance) with James DiBiasio getting stronger in the offseason,” the 30th-ranked senior in the state noted. “I put in a lot of work hoping for a good (60) time at the Procase. Going to showcases helped me get my name out there along the way, especially losing the spring season last year. A lot of coaches saw my numbers and that got options on the table for me.”

Giberti narrowed it down before making the final decision.

“It was between about three schools but Harvard had the best feel with the environment and academics,” Giberti said. “I just fell in love with it.”

Once it became official there was, admittedly, a lot of excitement.

“It was amazing to celebrate with all the people that helped me get to this point,” the 17-year-old said. “There’s no better feeling than that.”

Now Giberti looks ahead with anticipation to his final spring season at Saint Ignatius while waiting anxiously for the start of school at Harvard.

“I’m looking forward to building relationships, I built a lot with high school baseball and summer baseball,” Giberti said of what he is most eager about when it comes to being part of a college program. “I’m looking forward to competing there and bringing more Ivy League championships to Cambridge.”