Our 4 Questions with the Coach guest this week is Yulee head baseball coach Fred Matricardi, whose Hornets are preparing for the upcoming 2024 baseball season. Coach Matricardi and his team are coming off a season in which they finished 16-11 overall and advanced to the district finals, where they fell to eventual district champion Bishop Kenny, 6-3.
Yulee, which opens the season at St. Johns Country Day on February 15, boasts one of the state’s top young prospects in Preston Matricardi – yes, the coach’s son. Preston made headlines a couple of years ago when he committed to Florida State as an eighth-grader. While playing at the next level certainly remains part of his plans, Preston’s immediate focus is the 2024 season, when he’ll be counted on to help lead Yulee to an even better finish than in 2023.
Let’s visit with the coach and find out more about his Yulee baseball team and what to expect for the upcoming season.
Q. Coach, the start of the season is just a little over a month or so away, but before we move forward about what’s to come, let me ask about last year. I mentioned in the introduction that your Yulee baseball team had a solid year, advancing to the district championship game. It was a big improvement from the previous season, for sure. How would you describe last season and the success of the team throughout the year?
A. Last year we definitely had a successful season in my eyes and our staff’s eyes. We lost in the district championship to a Bishop Kenny team that played for a state championship. We played a lot of young kids, and they stepped throughout the year after we had some injuries. Our goal was just to continue to get better as the year went on, and I thought we did that with a tough schedule. Our goal was to get the young kids experience.
Q. Let’s turn the conversation to the upcoming season. How many contributors are returning from last year’s 16-win squad and will be counted on again in 2024? I mentioned Preston, who is as good a ballplayer in Florida as anyone. I know you are expecting great things from him, and I’ll ask more about him in the next question below, but who else can you tell us about, and what are the areas you think will be strengths of the team this year?
A. Sophomore outfielder and pitcher Mason Jones (committed to Virginia Tech) returns after a stellar freshmen year, when he led our team in home runs, doubles, and wins on the mound. We expect him to continue to improve in every facet.
Sophomore Tripp Hannah (Oklahoma State) is back as our starting shortstop after a very good freshman year in which he was our defensive player of the year.
Junior Amauri Goff returns after leading our team in hitting with a .328 average and double-digit RBI’s, and he plays a good first base. He also is a very football player.
Junior pitcher/outfielder Brodie Nichols returns as our team leader in innings pitched and saves.
Senior infielder/pitcher Luke Thomas is someone we expect to lead a young group and continue to improve from last year.
Senior Matty Baldwin returns in the outfield, where he plays a very good center field and is a guy we expect to run a lot of balls down and be the leader out there.
Sophomore pitcher/first basemen Josh McCormick returns after a very productive freshmen year, when he went 3-1 and pitched very well down the stretch.
Sophomore infielder/pitcher JJ Matuson returns as our starting second basemen. He had a sold freshmen year in the field, at the plate, and on the mound.
Newcomers expected to contribute are sophomore pitcher/outfielder Brody Kraft and freshman pitcher/catcher Landis Pickett. Brody is a lefthander who can run and swing the bat, and is expected to contribute. Landis is a very smart player behind the dish who can swing the bat and who knows how to pitch. We expect big things from him also.
Our strengths should be our pitching and defense. I think we have eight to 10 arms that are really good, and we will be very good in the infield and outfield. We are still very young but talented, and as the year goes on I think we will become a very good offensive team.
Q. Let’s talk about Preston Matricardi, who I mentioned in the introduction as one of your top players. How can Preston best help and contribute to this Yulee baseball team in 2024?
A. Preston is another left-handed bat and arm with a lot of upside that we will depend on.
Q. Tell us about your 2024 schedule. Who are some of the tough opponents and key games that fans of the Hornets will see this season?
A. Our schedule again is tough. Last year we played 15 playoff teams, including North Marion, who won the state championship. Bishop Kenny lost to North Marion in the state championship, St. Johns Country Day is a perennial final-four team, and I thought Gainesville Buchholz was the best team we played. This year we play Buchholz again, and they return all of their guys from last year’s regional final team. We also play very good programs like Clay, St. John’s Country Day, Bolles, Tift County (GA), Oakleaf, and others.
Our team goal this year is to win the district championship and get into the playoffs and make some noise.
