Matthews: Being drafted by Astros 'a surreal feeling'

Dreams of playing big league baseball for your hometown crowd is a popular vision among players across the United States.

For Brice Matthews, a University of Nebraska (NU) infielder, that dream is much closer to reality after he was selected by the Houston Astros, his hometown team, in the 2023 MLB draft on July 9.

“It’s a surreal feeling,” Matthews said, according to an MLB report. “Kind of hard to describe in words, kind of something you always dream of as a kid. For it to actually happen is pretty crazy.”

The Astros selected Matthews with the 28th overall pick to close the first round of the draft. In his junior year at Nebraska, he became the first player in school history to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in a season, according to MLB.

Matthews is a graduate of Atascocita High School in Humble, Texas, where he was also a standout football player, according to KHOU. He also attended the Astros Youth Academy.

He is the highest-drafted player from NU in 18 years when the Kansas City Royals used the second overall pick of the 2005 MLB draft to land third baseman Alex Gordon, according to a KLKN report. Matthews was also the first Cornhusker to be selected in the first round since 2006 when right-hander Joba Chamberlain was drafted by the New York Yankees.

"It's crazy to see the jumps I've made," Matthews said. "I always thought I had the capability of doing what I did. It's just a matter of putting all the pieces together. I definitely wouldn't be here without my support system, my friends and family. They've been the backbone for me and speaking courage into me and helping me take the stress off myself and not making it more than what it should be."

Matthews, 21, is listed as 6 feet tall and weighs 190 pounds, according to the Houston Chronicle.