Matt Szczur Signs Contract With Chicago Cubs, Will Return to Villanova in the Fall

[CSN Log]

07-01-2010 02:45 PM

VILLANOVA, Pa. (July 1, 2010) – Villanova’s Matt Szczur, CAA Football’s reigning Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Year, has signed a contract with Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs and will report to one of the franchise’s minor league affiliates within the next few days, it was announced today. The contract will allow Szczur, a rising senior in football at Villanova, to return to campus this fall and play his final year for the Wildcats which won the NCAA Division I National Championship in 2009.

Read more » (http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/log/index.php/2010/07/01/matt-szczur-signs-contract-with-chicago?blog=2#more6650)

More... (http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/log/index.php/2010/07/01/matt-szczur-signs-contract-with-chicago?blog=2)

[TexasTerror]

Huge news for the Villanova program...


“I am incredibly excited to have the opportunity to play professional baseball. It has always been a dream of mine to play at this level,” stated Szczur. “I could not have asked for a better situation. I am thrilled to begin my professional baseball career in the Chicago Cubs organization and also be able to return to Villanova for my senior year and help my football teammates defend our national championship.”

Good luck to Matt and hopefully he can have a great last year at Villanova before going in whatever direction he pleases...

[SumItUp]

How much bonus money did he receive as part of his contract?

[Bogus Megapardus]

Congrats to Matt - but how can he be a pro and still have NCAA eligibility?

[TexasTerror]

Congrats to Matt - but how can he be a pro and still have NCAA eligibility?

Different sport. Former Univ of Texas RB Ricky Williams played baseball in the summer and came back to Hook'em Horns during football for two years.

[Anovafan]

Sorry for the double post mods, I don't frequent the news feeds very often. The bonus amounts remained confidential.

[TexasTerror]

Another article...


But the good news doesn't stop there for the Lower Cape May Regional High School graduate. Szczur will return to Villanova University in the fall and play football his senior year. Szczur, who is from Erma, won a national championship in football with Villanova last season.

"My options are better now," Szczur said. "This couldn't get any better for me. It's going to be unbelievable to play this summer and then go back to play football."

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/article_7fe239dc-853f-11df-a209-001cc4c002e0.html

[Bogus Megapardus]

Different sport. Former Univ of Texas RB Ricky Williams played baseball in the summer and came back to Hook'em Horns during football for two years.

I had no idea you could do that.

[smallcollegefbfan]

VILLANOVA’S SZCZUR SIGNS MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL CONTRACT; WILL RETURN TO VILLANOVA IN FALL

VILLANOVA, Pa. (July 1, 2010) -- Villanova’s Matt Szczur, CAA Football’s reigning Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Year, has signed a contract with Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs and will report to one of the franchise’s minor league affiliates within the next few days, it was announced today. The contract will allow Szczur, a rising senior in football at Villanova, to return to campus this fall and play his final year for the Wildcats which won the NCAA Division I National Championship in 2009.

Szczur begins his professional baseball career just a few weeks after the Cubs made him their fifth-round selection in last month’s amateur draft. He will be able to play baseball this summer before returning to campus for the start of fall semester classes as well as preseason football workouts.

http://www.caasports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=48484&SPID=4660&DB_OEM_ID=8500&ATCLID=204965442

[kdinva]

Good for him and Villanova.......just seems odd he'll play baseball for "only" 5 weeks, then FB again.

[TexasTerror]

I had no idea you could do that.

Here's the facts of it - Ricky Williams played minor league baseball from 1995-1998 - http://thebaseballcube.com/players/W/Ricky-Williams.shtml - doing so while with the Univ of Texas.

[LeadBolt]

Congratulations to Matt and to Villanova! Not so much for Villanova's football opponents.....

[jmufan999]

i never thought for a second he wouldn't come back. that said, i had NO IDEA he would sign an MLB contract AND come back. pretty cool.

i don't think he'll ever see a baseball field... NFL scouts are going to be drooling for him, kinda the Wes Welker (more specifically, Julian Edelman since he has experience at QB) mold.

[TexasTerror]

A few more articles...

For Szczur, the best of both sports
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20100702_For_Szczur__the_best_of_both_sports.html

Lower Township's Matt Szczur signs with Cubs, but will still play football for Villanova
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/article_93ef0322-3634-52e0-9fad-982999f579b3.html

[Anovafan]

Some more news on Matt:

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/07/09/1261328/new-hawks-future-baseball-e-or.html

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81900f1c/article/nebraskas-paul-leads-list-of-intriguing-wrs-poised-to-enter-draft

[wr70beh]

He seems to be tearing up in Single-A. He was 3 for 4 last night with a double. Right now he's batting .429 in Boise with a .500 OBP. He'll probably start in Peoria or Daytona next year (both Class-A Cubs affiliates).

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=OF&sid=t480&t=p_pbp&pid=519333

[ngineer]

We'll have to welcome with 'open arms' to Goodman on September 11.xsmiley_wix

[wr70beh]

The good thing about Szczur is that he's had at least one hit in every game he's played in the minors so far. He won't win the batting title because he arrived too late to Boise, but he's hitting extremely solid right now.

Apparently ESPN is doing an E:60 feature on him, per this article:

http://www.idahopress.com/sports/article_c2dee2e0-9628-11df-9ef9-001cc4c03286.html

[wr70beh]

He was promoted to Peoria of the Midwest League yesterday. The guy keeps continuing to hit.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=l_trn&lid=118&sid=t443