Recruited as an outfielder, Fox Chapel grad Dante DiMatteo shines for W&J baseball as reliever

Mention Fox Chapel grad Dante DiMatteo around these parts, and those who follow high school baseball might remember him as the kid who pitched pitched 11 consecutive no-hit innings last April.

He pitched a five-inning no-hitter in a mercy-rule victory over Woodland Hills on April 23. Five days later, he threw six innings of a combined no-hitter (with Luke Hudic) against Shady Side Academy.

But when W&J coach Jeff Mountain was wooing DiMatteo, he envisioned using him as an outfielder.

A funny thing happened on the way to the outfield. DiMatteo arrived at W&J with a torn meniscus in his left knee and was unable to do any baseball activities in the fall as he continued his recovery. Once he was cleared, he worked out on his own.

When the team reconvened to prepare for the spring, Mountain had DiMatteo throwing some bullpen sessions, and he took note of the way the ball “jumped out of his hand.”

“When we started throwing live to hitters in February, he’s throwing 88 to 92 (mph) with a good curveball and a changeup that he just kind of learned and isn’t a bad pitch at all,” Mountain said. “He kept getting better and better, and we said we’re going to have to throw him in and see what he can do.”

Envisioning DiMatteo getting back in the outfield, Mountain decided to use DiMatteo as a closer/high-leverage reliever.

Coming into Sunday, DiMatteo had made nine appearances (12 innings), registering five saves. He struck out 18 and walked eight while allowing only two hits and giving up two earned runs for a 1.50 ERA. The Presidents were 14-6 overall and 7-0 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.

He has done it through yet another injury: a balky labrum in his left arm that he hurt while sliding during practice. Because it is in his non-throwing shoulder, he still is able to pitch, but he is unable to hit or play the outfield.

“I love pitching, but I also love to hit and play the outfield,” DiMatteo said. “I hope to continue as a two-way after I get this injury cleared up. I have such a passion for hitting I can’t imagine not doing it.”

For now, his lot as a college baseball player will be as a pitcher. Oddly enough, he still is honing his craft, as he didn’t start to pitch regularly until his senior year at Fox Chapel.

So because being a starting pitcher wasn’t ingrained in his mentality, he has been fine with being a back-end pitcher.

“Being a reliever, I think it’s better than being a starter because it doesn’t mess up your arm as much,” he said.

Instead, he has messed up opposing hitters. In his first collegiate appearance Feb. 20 against Mount Union, DiMatteo pitched two innings without allowing a hit and struck out four. A month later, facing Wooster in Florida, he came in during the eighth inning of a 2-1 game and pitched two more scoreless innings — without a walk — and got five of the six outs via strikeout.

That performance got him a spot on the D3baseball.com’s Team of the Week.

“I’m definitely more of a strikeout guy than a contact guy,” he said. “That (being a contact guy) can have its benefits because I’m probably throwing more pitches than a guy who throws to contact.”

Mountain said DiMatteo will get back to being a two-way player eventually, and he isn’t ruling out using him as a starting pitcher in subsequent seasons. For now, he is more than comfortable using him as a closer.

“He actually seems to be a guy, too, who throws better in tighter, more pressure situations,” Mountain said. “He’s been a really pleasant surprise so far. He’s low-maintenance, he works hard, seems tough and hard-nosed, and he’s been nice to work with so far.”

Mountain might need DiMatteo in those high-pressure situations come May and June. The Presidents, the reigning PAC champs, have their sights set squarely on the Division III World Series. W&J made the World Series in 2019 then advanced to the regionals last season.

“The only thing we’re thinking about is the World Series,” DiMatteo said. “We’re not expecting less than that.”