Quick Q&A: Matt Wallner, Forest Lake baseball

The 6-foot-4 junior pitcher/outfielder recently made a verbal commitment to play baseball for the University of North Dakota.

Q: Why North Dakota?

A: I really liked the coaches. They're all good guys who know how to put together a team. They've struggled a bit but the upside is there.

Q: It gets colder in Grand Forks than it does here.

A: They play a lot of games in California and Texas. And I don't mind the cold. It can make things interesting.

Q: Will you be a pitcher or an outfielder?

A: Probably a corner outfielder. I think they were most impressed with my hitting.

A: We have a really nice stadium [Schumacher Stadium] and it's fun to play there, especially under the lights. It's always been my dream, since I was a little kid, to play there.

Q: What do visiting players think of Schumacher?

A: They all think it's fun to play there at night. It's a great high school baseball atmosphere.

Q: What type of hitter are you?

A: I'm lefthanded. I'm more of a pull hitter naturally, but I've worked on opening up to all fields. It's helped me immensely this season.

A: We've done very well pitching and fielding. If we start hitting like we can, we can give any team a run for its money.

Q: Advice for young players?

A: Keep your head up. Everybody goes 0-for-3 sometimes. You always have to focus on that next at-bat, that next play in the field.