by: Landon Burke – Staff Writer

Tate Matheny, senior and member of the WCA varsity baseball team, has announced his intentions to play baseball for Missouri State University for the 2012-2013 school year. Matheny has been in athletic scouts’ spotlight for several months now, and his selection process is finally complete. Where a potential collegiate athlete chooses to enroll is a big decision. Matheny, however, was very confident in his choice of Missouri State University. “I became interested in MSU when I visited the first time this summer. I got to know the coach and what a good guy he was, and I fell in love with all of it. It’s not too far from home, but I’m not in the backyard either. I just knew it was the right choice,” said Matheny. Although the world of college athletics will bring a whole new level of competition for Matheny, he showed confidence and enthusiasm towards the new opportunity ahead. “I’m looking forward to the competition and I hope to be able to help my team. The challange will be winning a starting spot my freshman year, but if I work hard, I think I can do it,” said Matheny. This past baseball season has been a historically successful one for the WCA baseball team, encompassing the first ever state title. However, Matheny’s baseball career seems to be far from over. “I hope to someday get drafted, and maybe even play in the bigs,” said Matheny. As the 2011-2012 sports seasons are completed, more and more senior athletes will be announcing their intent regarding college athletics. With Matheny being the first senior to lay down a commitment, only time will tell what WCA has to offer the world of collegiate sports.