OUT OF THE BLUE

Bryant outfielder finally finds groove at the plate

There was nothing to indicate Matthew Sandidge would hit close to .400 last year. In fact, Bryant coach Travis Queck had penciled the junior in the lineup mainly because of his sure glove in the outfield. “We watched film on him as a freshman and sophomore, and something just wasn’t right,” Queck said. “I just couldn’t explain what it was.” So Queck inserted Sandidge sixth in the order and hoped for the best. However, the first few weeks of the season produced more questions than answers. Then in April, things started clicking, and Sandidge owned one of the hotter bats in the lineup. “I expected to do well, but it didn’t start that way at the beginning,” Sandidge said. “I finally got in a groove and found it.” Sandidge earned all-state honors and helped the defendingchampion Hornets to the semifinals of the Class 7A State Tournament. He is the Tri-Lakes Edition Baseball Player to Watch in 2018. “Matt found a way to clean up his mechanics and time the baseball,” Queck said. “He’s batting .400, and I was like, ‘I didn’t see that coming.’ It was all him. He put in the effort and time.” Sandidge, who was also a receiver on the football team, entered the baseball program as a freshman with little confidence at the plate. He spent two years, with the help of the coaching staff ,trying to improve his hitting. His ability to play all three outfield positions seemed to be his greatest asset, but with upperclassmen in front of him, he didn’t make the varsity roster. Then last year, Queck needed an outfielder. With Sandidge still trying to improve at the plate, he became a starter. “I didn’t know what I was going to get out of Matt, but I knew if I asked him to jump, he was going to ask me ‘How high?’” Queck said. “He wasn’t going to ask, ‘Why?’ He is a smart guy with great leadership characteristics, but I didn’t know how that would translate to baseball. I knew he could function in the outfield, but offensively, I was concerned.” Sandidge knew that to keep his spot, he needed to do more than be a steady outfielder. He used the 5:30 a.m. team practice sessions to work on his timing in the cage. Since he didn’t need to take ground balls with the infielders, he logged even more time hitting in those early mornings, then took live pitching in the afternoon practice session. Still, six weeks into the season, it was the same result. But by April, he got hot and finished the season on a tear. Queck credits the change with Sandidge finally seeing the ball out of the pitcher’s hand better. “We practice a lot and face a lot of our own pitching, and it is really good,” he said. “When you start having success in practice, it gives you confidence in the games.” His confidence soared, and he finished the season with a .380 average with 6 doubles, 9 RBIs and 1 home run. “Once it clicks, the ball looks a lot bigger than it is,” Sandidge said. “When you are not seeing it as well, there is a big difference.” Coming off an all-state performance, Sandidge will move to the No. 3 or 4 spot in the lineup, where the pressure will be greater. “It makes it more real and serious,” Sandidge said. “I think it did help me last year to not have the pressure hitting lower in the lineup. It gave me more confidence, and now I am prepared for the step up. Last year really helped me to be more prepared.” Even before Sandidge swung a hot bat, he was a shining example of what Queck expects from his players. Sandidge is a 4.0 student and earned a 33 on his ACT. And even while slumping, he stuck with his hitting program and didn’t complain.

His patience and dedication while finally seeing drastic improvement is something Queck and his teammates admire. “I always point to him when I want to exhibit something because I know he is doing it the right way,” Queck said. “He isn’t a rah-rah guy. He just comes to work every day and is consistent. He keeps working and working and stays on the program. “When you see him in practice, you see why he is so successful in the classroom. That is what is going to help him become a doctor or lawyer someday.” Sandidge has always been able to balance academics and athletics. While playing two sports and balancing advanced classes, he said, he often has to find time to do school work during lunch or in a class that isn’t as demanding. It’s that perspective that will drive his college decision. Queck said that after last season, several schools are interested in Sandidge and, with a repeat performance, may offer a scholarship. “I am still kind of undecided right now,” Sandidge said. “If I do play baseball, I’d like it to be at a good academic school. I want a good education.” For now, Sandidge is focused on helping the Hornets back to the state-championship game. He got a taste of the experience as a sophomore with the team in the dugout at the University of Arkansas’ Baum Stadium. “It would mean a lot because I got to see what it meant to those other players above me that were seniors,” he said. “Winning it meant a lot to them. It meant a lot to me, even though I wasn’t on varsity, but if we won it this year, it would mean even more.”