Matt West enters his first season as pitching coach for ACU Baseball.
Born in Houston, Texas, West was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the second round of the 2007 MLB Draft out of Bellaire High School. West began his professional career as an infielder for the Arizona League Rangers, hitting .301 in 29 games. After grooming his game in the minors and being converted to pitcher in 2011, West was elevated to the MLB on July 10, 2014 by the Rangers.
West appeared in three MLB games that 2014 season before being designated for assignment and being picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays soon after. He filtered through the ranks of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Orix Buffaloes of Japan, and Detroit Tigers before ending his professional career playing independent ball from 2018-2021.
With a 14-year journey behind him, West said he wanted to stay a part of a locker room environment, so he ended up getting his EMT. After getting nationally certified, West was one phone call away from taking a job in New Mexico, but said it did not feel right. Coaching was not remotely on his radar, but one day his wife was looking at job opportunities and came across an opening at ACU for a Pitching Coach.
West applied for the position and translated recent experience with youth baseball into a spot on the coaching staff of ACU Baseball.
