Matt Pobereyko

Signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks as an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky Wesleyan College on July 5, 2016... spent three seasons at Kentucky Wesleyan from 2013-2015, going 11-4 with a 3.79 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 107 innings... born December 24, 1991 in Hammond, Indiana to Paul and Karen Pobereyko; he had one brother Danny... majored in fitness and sports management at Kentucky Wesleyan... in high school, he was a two-time All-Conference selection at Bishop Noll where he played first, second, third, pitched and helped the team to a 24-10 record as a senior under coach Paul Wirtz... also competed on the swimming team at Bishop Noll... attended South Suburban (Junior) College from 2011-12... in his final season at Kentucky Wesleyan College, he went 9-2 with a 1.96 ERA in 12 games... appeared in 92 career Minor League games over four seasons with the D-backs, Mets and Marlins, going 7-7 with a 3.24 ERA and 181 strikeouts in 133 1/3 innings from 2016-2021.

Began the 2016 season with the Florence Freedom of the independent Frontier League, striking out 31 in 20 1/3 innings... signed with Arizona in July 2016, made his D-backs debut and saw time at three levels in Arizona's system with the AZL D-backs, Hillsboro and Visalia, going 1-2 with a 4.33 ERA in 15 appearances... Arizona released him after the 2016 season on Oct. 13... signed with the Mets on June 21, 2017 and spent the 2017 season with Class-A Columbia, striking out 53 batters in 34 1/3 innings across 23 appearances out of the Fireflies bullpen... Mets sent him to the prestigious Arizona Fall League after the 2017 MiLB season and he appeared in 8 games with Scottsdale... moved up three levels in 2018 to reach Triple-A Las Vegas.... in 42 appearances between St. Lucie, Binghamton and Las Vegas, he struck out 61 in 56 2/3 innings... Mets released him on March 14, 2019 and he signed with Sioux City of the independent American Association... appeared in a career-high 47 games for the Sioux City Explorers in 2019, striking out 74 in 51 innings... appeared in 13 games with St. Paul in the American Association in 2020... began the 2021 season with Sioux City and appeared in 21 games before signing with the Miami Marlins on July 20, 2021... Marlins assigned him to Double-A Pensacola, where he went 1-0 with a 1.12 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings... elected free agency on Nov. 7, 2021 and joined Bravos de Leon in the Mexican League for the 2022 season... also returned to Sioux City in 2022 and made six appearances, five as a starter... later signed with Algodoneros de Guasave and Saraperos de Saltillo in the Mexican League while also pitching for the Mexican squad in the 2023 Caribbean Series... was on the roster of Saltillo when he died from a heart attack on Feb. 26, 2023 at age 31.