Baseball is a family sport. On game days at Depew Field at Marren Park, one can find parents and families cooking food and having fun down the left field line hours before their sons take the field.
That familial nature of our National Pastime especially holds true for senior Matt Alexander, whose father provided him with opportunities to be around the likes of professional baseball throughout his childhood. Matt’s father, Tim Alexander, has been a professional scout in baseball for over 15 years, working for the Tampa Bay Rays and one of baseball’s most storied franchises, the New York Yankees.
“I remember starting to play around four-to-five, but my parents will tell you I was picking up a ball and throwing it around from two-to-three,” said Matt, the switch-hitting infielder. “I remember my childhood vividly. My first memories are from t-ball, going up to both sides of the plate and just smacking the ball.”
Tim has given back to baseball after playing at Le Moyne College. He began with one-on-one instruction for players along with coaching at the high school and college levels before starting a travel team. Through the travel team, he developed relationships with area scouts and eventually started as a part-time scout with the Yankees. It led to a full-time area scout position with the Rays for nine years, and has now been an area scout for the Yankees since 2018.
The life of a professional scout is rigorous, spending many hours on the road away from family. Tim’s career gave him the opportunities to guide Matt through baseball at the highest level.
“I have worked with my dad in the past, but I don’t think it’s a job I would do. It’s a difficult job on the road, but that brought me into the game and kept me there, and it’s given me connections in the industry.”
Matt spent a lot of time around ballparks growing up, hanging around and even playing with some of MLB’s best talent.
“I like to say I was meant to be there, but it was more because of my father,” joked Alexander. “I’ve been to Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Rogers Centre and played in all of those stadiums with some of the best players.”
Matt played with Yankees star shortstop, Anthony Volpe, who made his debut on Opening Day last season after becoming a top prospect in the MLB since getting drafted in the first round back in 2019. Matt has also met several other current Yankees, who helped the team achieve an American League Championship last season.
“Volpe is a big name that I throw around a lot, getting to play with him was a great experience. Patrick Corbin, although I didn’t play with him, he grew up in Syracuse where I grew up, so [our family] has known him for a long time.”
Humbled by his childhood experiences, it was instilled early on the mindset needed to reach the top. Matt saw first-hand the hard work and dedication to move from the minors to the majors. These lessons molded the man that Matt is today, and he continues to use those opportunities to better himself in all facets of life.
“You have to grow up quickly and you mature really fast. Watching some of the best players play, you realize that you’re going to fail a lot earlier than most, and you see what it takes to work and be at the next level. I took those things from those players and added it to my game.”
It was that work ethic and dedication to the game Matt learned that helped him understand that he could continue to play ball and contribute at the Division I level. Even in high school, Matt was surrounded by talented players who were prepared to take on the next level of baseball.
“My every day work taught me I was good enough to play here. Just being around the people that I played with and being able to hang around [talented] players that were much better than me. They were bound to be in the MLB draft, ACC and SEC schools, so competing there at a high level taught me that I was capable of playing.”
Although his recruiting process was limited, Matt earned the opportunity to play for Coach Scott Heather at one of his top choices, Bucknell. The opportunity has given him the resources to pursue a degree and a career in mechanical engineering, another love of his.
“Growing up, things would break and I would fix them. I love problem solving. When I see a problem, I love to solve it, that’s just how I work. My teammates will tell you that I have random tools laying around in my car and in my pockets, just to fix things; that’s always how it’s been.”
Matt’s love for fixing things translated into building computers. It was his sophomore year of high school when he built his first computer, and he continues to build computers for himself and others today.
“It’s another engineering tinkering hobby, but it’s very fun for me. Some people ask me for stuff to work with like video and media, and some ask for video games. I use mine for all sorts of things. Video, media, video games, computer-aid-design and more.”
Matt is currently working on a senior design project with seven other seniors to build a drivetrain for an off-road “baja” vehicle. The life of a student-athlete is beyond time-consuming, and Matt humbly hands a lot of credit to groupmates while he endures a busy baseball season. Still, his work ethic and love for what he does has surely added plenty of value to the project.
“My senior design project has been awesome. It’s a competition, we just sent the vehicle out on Friday, so it’s all finished. I’m a Formula One fan; I love racing and I love cars. Getting to have these experiences [at Bucknell] is really cool.”
Intertwined with his childhood experiences, that love for mechanical engineering has shaped his approach to baseball.
“It’s [taught me] to keep a level head; I have a very pragmatic way of thinking in my baseball career. I never get too high and I never get too low. Just let me find a problem and solve it whether it’s on the field, off the field, or how I have to tackle working hard.”
Matt has been an important contributor to the Bison over the past two seasons. While not an everyday player in the lineup, his number is called upon constantly, and the senior has stepped up in many cases. Last season, Matt was a .273 hitter for the Bison with an incredible .419 on-base percentage. He was 9-for-33 at the plate with nine walks and four RBIs. He had a pinch-hit in each of Bucknell’s last two Patriot League Tournament games against Army, where the Bison fell in two heartbreakers that ended their season.
Matt was called upon early this season in the middle infield, where he went 6-for-21 with five RBIs and eight walks over the first 12 games. Just last weekend, he was called upon again in an important series against the perennial league champions in Army, making his first career starts at the hot corner.
Alexander was a highlight reel in the field with nine assists, making tough play after another. He finished with a hit in both games, including a big RBI single that gave Bucknell a 4-3 lead as part of an eight-run inning to take down the Black Knights.
“It’s something I pride myself on, getting back in and just doing the job. [Opportunities] can be hard to come by in baseball sometimes, but to keep a level head even when you’re on the bench and come back and produce is important. I’m just happy to win those games; that’s the main goal.”
The big performances came in front of big crowds at Depew Field at Marren Park, where Bucknell celebrated the senior class before a beautiful ceremony the following day to rededicate the stadium to Depew Field at Marren Park.
Bucknell took two-of-three games from Army to stay alive in the Patriot League playoff push. It’s been a tough season for the Bison, but they still have a chance at a postseason berth heading into the final regular season series at Lafayette this weekend.
Matt is the epitome of hard work and dedication, and he is one of eight seniors that has remained positive and focused a hard-fought season despite games not always going their way. While he does not view himself as one of the vocal leaders, he knows the important responsibility of leading by example as a senior.
“Team morale has been great, almost too great sometimes,” joked Matt. “We’re a group of guys that have stayed together and we don’t hark on the bad things too much. I think a lot can be attributed to the senior class and how we handle ourselves. I like to lead by example by working hard and enjoying the game.”
Matt will graduate from Bucknell in the coming weeks, and he has a wide range of opportunities to pursue. Whether its coaching, playing, attending school, or moving towards full-time work, Matt remains steadfast that his work ethic and passion is what will drive him in life.
“I really just want to apply my self at a high level, I wouldn’t say I want to work ‘here’ or work ‘there,’” said Alexander. I just want to keep doing what I love, working hard, and see where that takes me. I’ve had some schools reach out, saying they’d like to interview me for coaching. I love the game a ton, so I will likely be around it regardless.”
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