Gator Country

Matt den Dekker isn't disappointed that he will be returning to Florida for his senior baseball season./Gator Country file photo by Tim Casey

Heading into the 2009 Florida baseball season, Matt den Dekker seemed like a lock to sign professionally. He played during the 2008 summer for Team USA, which was littered with high draft picks. But after a down offensive season, den Dekker’s draft stock slipped, allowing him to return to Florida for his senior season.

“It feels great to have everything behind me and know exactly what I’m doing,” den Dekker said.

The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted the Florida center fielder in the 16th round, a full 10 rounds lower than most expected. The talks between the Pirates and den Dekker heated up over the summer, but a week before Monday night’s signing deadline was when den Dekker made his final decision.

He would return for his senior year at Florida, be able to get his degree and suit up to play center field for the Gators one more year.

“I had a down year compared to my sophomore year,” den Dekker said. “The team also looks like it’ll be really good for next year so that played a role in it as well. I felt like coming back was the best move. I want to improve on what I did last season.”

The conversations with the Pirates lasted for almost the full two months between the draft and the deadline to sign. The Pirates draft philosophy was to draft a player with the fourth pick overall that would sign for slot money so they could have money left over to sign some players later in the draft who were thought to be difficult signs.

That reason alone kept Gator fans nervous until the deadline, wondering if den Dekker would be given more money than a 16th round pick would normally receive.

“They were just trying to see how I was feeling the whole time and they moved on to sign other players because I was going to stay for my senior year,” den Dekker said. “They said they were really looking forward to talking with me next year.”

Besides returning to better his draft stock, den Dekker also knows the talent that will suit up for the Gators this spring. Florida came two wins away from playing in the College World Series last season, and the Gators return most of the players who led them that far. Florida will also mix in the nation’s top baseball recruiting class, which has them as an early choice to make it to Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series in 2010.

“We’ve got a good team with a good freshman class coming in, so I’m excited to be back,” den Dekker said. “This summer I got a chance to hang out with some of the incoming freshman, and their class is the best freshman group I’ve seen since I’ve been here. We’ve got some good arms coming in. Combining them with the core guys we’ve got coming back from last year has us excited.

“The pitchers coming back, like (Anthony) DeSclafani, (Nick) Maronde and (Alex) Panteliodis, when we add the new guys to them, we’ll be real good next year.  All of those pitchers have been doing a lot of work on the side to get stronger. They’re going to come back and have some big years for us.”

Den Dekker spent plenty of time on campus working out this summer, and he was able to meet the incoming freshmen. From the time he spent in the weight room with them to the times they spent hitting in the cages, den Dekker is excited to see what they can bring to the Gators this spring.

“They just look like they’re ready to step in and play right away. I feel like they’ve already got a lot of work in this summer and they’re ready to play. That’s a big thing for them. They were able to get in early, which helps them get over the learning curve real quick. I think we may have a few Preston Tuckers in this class!”

And that’s something no Gator fan would complain about.

About the author

GatorCody

Cody, born and raised in Daytona Beach, is a baseball fanatic, but loves covering Gator recruiting for Gator Country. He graduated from Spruce Creek High's prestigious International Baccalaureate program and is now in his sophomore year studying journalism at the University of Florida.

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