Simply put, Matt Burke was one of the finest shortstops to play baseball at Washington College in the sport’s long history at the school. After transferring to the College as a sophomore, Matt put together three impressive seasons, hitting above .350 for his career.
Matt’s senior campaign was both his and the team’s statistical peak during his career. He hit .391 in 1984 as the Shoremen won the MAC Southeast Division and finished with a 19-11-2 record overall. The 19 wins set a new single-season record for the Shoremen as Matt led the team in batting average, hits, runs, RBI, walks, and fielding assists. Matt was named to the All-Middle Atlantic Conference Southeast Division first team, the second time in his three-year Shoremen career he earned all-conference honors.
Matt, who was named his team’s Most Valuable Player in his first year at the College and later served as a team co-captain, sported a career fielding percentage of .950 at one of the most challenging defensive positions on the diamond. He also led the Shoremen in runs scored all three seasons. In addition to his prowess on the baseball field, Matt also played on the basketball team as a sophomore, starting 10 games at point guard.
While going on to an impressive career in the pharmaceutical industry, Matt continued to play competitive baseball at a high level well after graduation. He was a six-time semi-pro state champion and a seven-time semi-pro All-Star.
Washington College considers it an honor and privilege to induct Matthew T. Burke into its Athletic Hall of Fame on this 1st day of October, 2016.
