The Region's Team Of Northwest Indiana

The name Matt Pobereyko (Kentucky Wesleyan / Munster) is one that Northwest Indiana Oilmen fans have grown accustomed to seeing coming out of the bullpen over the past two seasons.

Working primarily as the closer for the team in 2013 and 2014, Pobereyko compiled a 3-2 record to go along with 17 saves and an impressive 1.46 ERA. Reflecting on his career with the Oilmen, he felt that his time spent with the team was extremely beneficial to his progression as a baseball player.

“Playing with the Oilmen was a great experience for me,” Pobereyko said. “Coming off of Tommy John surgery in 2012, I used my time with the team to rehab and get my body right as well as really find myself out on the mound. Being a starter for most of my collegiate career, working out of the bullpen as a closer for the Oilmen also really helped me to become a much more versatile pitcher.”

When asked about some of his favorite aspects of getting to play for the Northwest Indiana Oilmen over his two seasons with the team, Pobereyko talked about the localism as being an ideal draw for him.

“Being close to home was always part of what I loved about playing for the Oilmen,” he said. “Playing alongside guys that I grew up playing with and guys from around the area made for an easy transition and great team chemistry all season.”

Pobereyko also talked about some of his most fond memories of getting to play at Oil City Stadium.

“The Military All-Stars Game was definitely one game in particular that stood out to me because of the tremendous draw for the game,” he said. “Pretty much any game we played when the stands were filled to capacity created an electric atmosphere for the game. With the stadium seating being right on top of the field, the fans would have the place rocking and that would energize the whole team.”

Pobereyko recently completed a remarkable 2015 campaign for the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers. He finished his senior season with a 9-2 record and a stout 1.84 ERA. He also racked up 104 strikeouts over 73 1/3 innings. Pobereyko will be joining the Northwest Indiana Oilmen this season for a stint as an assistant coach.

“I want to be able to work with the young pitchers and help them with their own personal progression,” he said. “Answering any questions the young guys have about college baseball or anything pitching related I think will help these guys get a little perspective. I’ve played this game for a long time now, and any knowledge I can pass on to other players from my own personal experiences will hopefully give the guys some more information to help them along in their own careers.”