UNC Baseball lands a two-way transfer player from USC

Scott Forbes and the UNC baseball program have added a transfer player that has the potential to make an impact as a two-way player. 

The UNC baseball program has benefitted from the transition period that the USC Trojans are set to embark on.

With a head coaching change in the works, the Trojans have lost a few key contributors to the transfer portal. One of the players that have decided to leave the program announced that he’ll be heading to Chapel Hill.

Matt Keating will be making his third college stop in as many seasons, as he’ll transfer to North Carolina with two years of eligibility remaining. Keating is a very intriguing addition who may end up being a two-way player for the Tar Heels.

The newest Tar Heel started his collegiate career at Southeast Community College in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he earned junior college All-American honors. Mostly used as a position player, Keating hit .404 with 19 homers, 62 runs batted in to go along with 27 stolen bases. In his limited time on the mound, Keating allowed just one earned run over 16 innings of work.

After the season, Keating decided to transfer to USC, as the program transitioned him to a more prominent pitching role.

The right-hander made 24 appearances and pitched over 30 innings, as he became a vital piece to the team’s back end of the bullpen. He ended up leading the Trojans with seven saves while serving as the team’s best strikeout pitcher.

It will be interesting to see how Scott Forbes and the Tar Heels elect to use Keating over his final two seasons of eligibility. Given his resume, he’s a player that could impact the program in multiple ways moving forward.

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