By Brandon Rebboah '13

Matt Long, a former Santa Clara University baseball standout selected in the 30th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, continues to impress in Minor League Baseball.

 After a solid 2009 season where he played for the Arizona Angels (Rookie Leauge) and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes(Class A+), the former Bronco captain played for the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Midwest League (Class A) and was pulled up to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes to help bolster their playoff roster in 2010. In his second season in the minor leagues, Long improved in every offensive category, putting up a .305 batting average and 74 RBI. .

The former SCU star was tied for first in triples on the Cedar Rapids Kernels with 12 and also stole 23 bases, while boasting an on-base-percentage of .382. Long started games at all three outfield positions during 2010.

The Bay Area native, was engrained in the SCU record books after an outstanding collegiate career in which he was second all-time in career at bats (875), second in triples (14), third in career hits (269), third  total bases (393), fourth in career runs (160), and ninth extra base hits (72). He was also the first Bronco in over a decade to hit for the cycle on April 26, 2007. As a freshman he was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball News.

This postseason, Long returned to California to play in the California League Playoffs for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and helped them advance to the California League Championship Series. He hit .235 and stole two bases in the playoffs for the Quakes. In the final game of the series, Long bunted his way on base and eventually scored the tying run to send the game to extra innings. The Quakes lost the game in 10 innings, 7-6.

Long is currently one of a dozen SCU alumni to be playing professional baseball. Click here to see the complete list.