Some baseball players are ball magnets. For some, that means the ball always seems find them in the field. For Sacramento State baseball player Matt Masciangelo, however, it means getting beaned by the ball seven times in one day.
On opening day of the 2024 college baseball season, Masciangelo and his Sacramento State Hornets played a doubleheader against the Loyola Marymount (LMU) Lions. In eight plate appearances Masciangelo had over the two games, he was hit by a pitch seven times; including three times in the first game, and four times in the second one.
Ladies and gentlemen, your nations HBP leader
Here are all SEVEN of Sac State's Matt Masciangelo plate appearances where he was hit by a pitch on opening daypic.twitter.com/rdRG6XAuXI
— Stephen Schoch (@bigdonkey47) February 17, 2024
To put this insane streak of hit by pitches into context, MLB.com noted that the MLB record for hit by pitches in a game is three — and it has only happened a few times in league history.
What's more, only one AL/NL player has ever been hit five times total in a doubleheader — which took place in 1904.
Therefore, Masciangelo's day is historic in multiple ways.
While Sac State ended losing both games of the doubleheader to LMU, it certainly wasn't due to Masciangelo's lack of being on base.
In an interview with MLB.com, Masciangelo said of the record, "Maybe it was my stance or the pitchers' game plan to come inside, but either way, it was an unusual way to get on base. I always approach the plate with a plan to drive the ball, but it didn't work out that way tonight. I'm just glad I was able to get on base and give my team a chance to score runs.
"I have moved slightly closer to the plate than I was last year, but nothing substantial," Masciangelo added when asked why these hit by pitches might have happened.
Although one would imagine that LMU's pitchers must have had a collective vendetta against Masciangelo, the Sac State player said, "none of the HBP felt malicious. Baseball is a strategic game, and sometimes in the heat of the moment pitches get away from even the best pitchers. I like to give them the benefit of the doubt".
Since that ridiculous opening day, Masciangelo has been hit by an eighth pitch; making him the NCAA leader by three HBP's, just three games into the season.
The NCAA record for hit by pitches in a season is 37. Therefore, perhaps Masciangelo can beat that record — if, that is, he manages to remain injury-free. Which is a big "if".
