Feature: Chamberlain Excited to Explore Opportunities on and off the Field |
List of Former Chargers in the Pros
WEST HAVEN, Conn. – A standout for the New Haven baseball team over the past four years, Connecticut native
Matt Chamberlain (North Branford, Conn./North Branford) has signed a professional contract with the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
Signed as an undrafted free agent, Chamberlain is the 85th Charger in program history to sign a professional contract, the first since
Tom Walraven (Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush) (Gary SouthShore RailCats) in 2018, and the first to sign with an affiliated club since
Josh Walker (Otisville, N.Y./Minisink Valley) (NY Mets) in 2017.
"Matt is a tremendous talent and a first class student-athlete," said Chargers head coach
Chris Celano. "The St. Louis Cardinals got an outstanding player and I could not be happier for him."
A standout outfielder who started all 140 games over the last four seasons for the Blue and Gold, Chamberlain recently completed his career at New Haven with a career batting average of .297, 11 home runs, 80 RBI and 120 runs scored. He graduates as the program's all-time leader in career walks with 126, 33 more than the next closest player. His career on-base percentage of .471 is sixth in program history and he set a school single-season record with 52 walks during the 2018 season while leading New Haven to a school-record 39 wins and the No. 1 seed in the NCAA East Region Tournament.
Chamberlain's top season with the Chargers came in 2019 when he was an All-East Region selection by the American Baseball Coaches Association (First Team), the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (Honorable Mention), and earned First Team All-Northeast-10 Conference honors. He led the Northeast-10 Conference in on-base percentage (.494) and was seventh in batting average (.346). He also ranked second in the conference in slugging percentage (.606) and reached base safely via either a hit, walk, or hit by pitch in 35 of the team's 37 games. He finished the 2019 season by recording a hit in 16 of his final 17 games.
On February 27, 2019, he was selected as the NE10 Player of the Week, the NCBWA East Region Hitter of the Week and the NCBWA National Hitter of the Week after going 10-for-17 and posting a .588/.667/1.353 slash line over the team's first four games of the season. During the summer of 2019, he was an all-star selection in the NECBL for the Martha's Vineyard Sharks.
Previously, Chamberlain was named to the NE10's All-Rookie Team following his freshman season in 2017, where he batted .293 and led the team in on-base percentage (.441), helping guide the Chargers to their second-ever NE10 Tournament title.
A multi-time selection to the NE10 Academic Honor Roll, Chamberlain graduated from New Haven in Spring 2020 with a bachelor's degree in nutrition and dietetics.
A three-sport star from nearby North Branford High School, Chamberlain was a two-time all-state selection in baseball and hockey for the Thunderbirds, and was an all-conference selection in football.
