CVCA Royals baseball center fielder Matt Corpora is this week’s SportsInk.com Athlete of the Week.  Corpora, a senior, swatted four home runs in one game last week in a tough loss to Highland.

“I was excited, incredible, a once-in-a-lifetime situation,” Corpora said.  On the season Corpora has smacked seven home runs. 

“I was not trying to hit any of the shots that day as I was just trying to make solid contact; I don’t consider myself a power hitter,” Corpora said. The home runs went like this on that day:  First (right field), second (left center field), third (right field) and the fourth (center field). “Even on the fourth home run I was not trying to yank it out,” Corpora said.

 

Corpora is the third batter for the 4-6 Royals baseball team and a four-year member of the team. Corpora has started since his sophomore season in center field. “I’m the fastest guy on the team so I think I can cover a lot of ground in the outfield,” Corpora said.

 

Baseball started for him as boy who could barely pick up a bat or ball; but his dad, Ron, worked with him every day and by the time Matt was in second grade he knew it was something he wanted to do. “I hit some real long balls in coach pitch and I knew then this was for me,” Corpora said.

Matt also has a brother, Christian, and sister, Miranda, who attend CVCA. The Corporas live in Hudson. “My parents wanted us to go somewhere where they could see us in sports and such,” Corpora said.

 

“I love this team and my teammates; we are very close,” Corpora said.

Though the team does not elect captains, Corpora recognizes that he is the leader of this team.

Corpora said Jerry Cowley, the veteran coach of the team,  is tough on them but he also knows that it is tough love. “We certainly know that the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the one on the back.”

 

As a sophomore Matt hit .450 with five home runs, while as a junior he hit .400 with just 1 homer. “I came down with a rough case of pink eye as a junior and missed a slew of games," Corpora said. "It was tough getting my hitting eye back.”

 

Matt is a solid contact hitter who prides himself on the ability to make contact. Corpora has only three strikeouts on the season at the plate.

 

Matt is enrolled at the University of Akron and hopes to make a run at the baseball team for the Zips.

 

 

 

TV Show:  24

Movie:  Boondock Saints

IPod:  Devil Wears Prada, Assistant to Regional Manager 

Pizza:  meat lovers, sausage, ham, pepperoni.

Hobbie:  weight lifting and basketball

Bucket List: sky diving