Huskies’ Seykora picks SMSU

Another week, another Steele County student-athlete committing to continue their athletic and academic careers at Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU).
This week it’s Matt Seykora, Owatonna’s star shortstop, who received a scholarship to play Division II baseball.
Turning one of his dreams into reality makes getting the opportunity to play at the collegiate level even more special.
“Baseball has always been my love and my dream, so I would say it's been a goal to play in college since day one. Whenever I've thought about my future, baseball has always been there,” he said.
While baseball could be a part of his future at several universities, he explained that SMSU was the right school for him both athletically and academically.
“I believe SMSU is the right baseball program for me because of the competition right away. The coaching staff told me I would have a good opportunity to play my freshman year. Being competitive, I wanted to be able to play right away and SMSU presents this opportunity. Coach Blanchard is also very respected in the baseball world and along with his coaching staff, it's a great place to develop,” Seykora said. “SMSU was a great fit as a school because of their academics. They are a big agriculture school, and living on a farm, I wanted to continue my education in agriculture. The facilities and school are also state of the art and new.”
Given all those advantages, he noted that choosing to attend SMSU was not a difficult decision.
“They have everything I wanted: the culture of the program, playing time and my intended major. It's just an overall great place to be and develop as a ball player and person,” he said.
In addition to developing as a ball player and person, he noted that the part of SMSU baseball that appealed to him was having to earn the respect of his teammates.
“Their main thing is proving yourself to your teammates so they can rely on you on and off the field. I've always had to prove myself throughout my life so this seemed fitting,” he said.
What Seykora hopes to prove to his teammates and coaches is that they’re getting a dedicated and hardworking kid.
“Throughout my life, I've always tried to be the hardest worker and take it personal when I'm viewed as not. It's fuel to become better and show people that no one will outwork me. I've had to overcome a blown-out knee in eighth grade and now a torn-up ankle, so I'll be able to overcome anything that's thrown at me,” he said. “I'm a persistent and diligent person on and off the field and it will continue through college.”
His persistence and diligence should help him reach the goals he wants to accomplish during his time at SMSU.
“My athletic goal at SMSU is to be the best baseball player I can be. Being a good teammate and person is just as important,” he said. “The first step is to start and hopefully I'm able to be all-conference and get other accolades in my career.”
His goal after college is to join the agriculture field in some way. He’s not sure how he’ll join the agricultural field yet, but he said coming back and running the family farm is a very strong possibility. 
 
Photo: Owatonna shortstop Matt Seykora looks to throw the runner out at first base. He recently decided to continue his athletic and academic career at Southwest Minnesota State University.