AUBURN, Ala. – A native of Kirkland, Washington, Matt Scheffler didn't know much about Auburn prior to 2018. However, after a visit from assistant coach Karl Nonemaker and a return trip to The Plains that summer, it didn't take long for the kid who had spent his whole life in the Pacific Northwest to be sold on Auburn and its baseball program.
"Honestly, as soon as I left town after my visit, I knew I was going to end up in Auburn," Scheffler said. "I knew this was the place where I'd be able to win. I'd be able to grow not only as a baseball player, but also as a man. Being a part of it for a year and a half now, it was definitely the right decision."
Likewise, head coach Butch Thompson was quickly impressed with what he saw out of the catcher from Pierce College.
"I think, pound-for-pound, he's arguably the best position player that I've ever had the chance to coach or wear the same uniform as," Thompson said. "It's a big statement, but from the time he's gotten here, he's given his body to every block. He's given his body to every pitch. Whether we're in the seventh inning of a blowout game or tight in a game, he has an energy that is just consistent. His motor runs at a high level, and it runs there no matter the situation. It had for a year plus 18 games as good as I have ever seen."
Scheffler not only earned the respect of the head coach, but he also earned the respect of his teammates, the staff and, before long, the entire Auburn Family because of the way he carried himself on and off the field. It was a feeling that was reciprocated.
"The Auburn Family is as close to real family as you can get," Scheffler said. "The amount of support that everybody gives the sports, student-athletes, coaches and everything, it really is a close-knit family. I can only be grateful for every opportunity I've been given at Auburn. I've been treated with nothing but respect."
Some of that respect stems from the team's recent success as Scheffler and the Tigers made the program's first appearance in the College World Series in 22 years in 2019. It comes as no surprise that one of his favorite memories is celebrating on the field in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, after the Tigers became the first team to defeat the Tar Heels in a super regional at home.
"We had been through some tough stuff that year, but it was cool to look around after we got our hats and everything and know that all this hard work was starting to pay off," Scheffler added. "We were starting to reap the benefits of it and really see it come to life."
Although the 2020 season didn't end according to plan, the memories made are something Scheffler and every member of the Auburn baseball program will keep with them forever, and whether he has played his final game in an Auburn uniform or not, his future after baseball is bright.
"Whatever his hands find to do later in life, he's going to be successful at whatever he does because Matt Scheffler is one of the best overall competitors and young men I've ever encountered in my 28 years of coaching college baseball," Thompson said.
Scheffler might not have known much about Auburn two years ago, but it's safe to say the Auburn Family will always hold a special place in his heart.
"I just want to say thank you for opening your arms to a kid from Washington who had never even been to Alabama," Scheffler said. "Thank you for being such a great, supportive community. For being there for us through it all – the good games and the bad games. Thank you for all of the constant support you had for not only me, but the whole program."
The saying goes, 'respect is earned,' and Scheffler has done just that during his time with Tigers.
"When it's all said and done, I want my legacy to be that I'm an Auburn man," he said. "I respect everybody. I give everybody a fair opportunity. I'm also a hard worker. I don't want anybody to think that I ever cheated anything. I never cheat myself. I never cheat my teammates. I try to earn everything that has happened to me, and I want people to realize that."