Matt Schepel arrived on Calvin’s campus in the fall of 2006; he will leave in the spring of 2015. In between he has rewritten the record books in almost every offensive category in baseball for the Knights. He compiled outstanding numbers in at-bats (496), hits (186), runs scored (134), RBIs (130), doubles (33), triples (11), home runs (19), walks (108), stolen bases (26), total bases (298), and a batting average of .375. Of those numbers, Schepel holds Calvin career records in at-bats, hits, runs scored, RBIs, doubles, home runs, walks and total bases. He is tied for the lead in triples and tied for sixth in stolen bases.

But more important than all of those records, he will leave with a degree.

A graduate of Grand Rapids (Mich.) Christian High School, Schepel began his career playing third base for the Knights. Fighting a torn meniscus, Schepel still managed to hit .314 while driving in 22 runs and earning second team All-MIAA honors.

After having surgery to repair the knee, Schepel came back and had an incredible sophomore year, leading the Knights to the MIAA title and an NCAA tournament appearance in head coach John Sparks’ first year at the helm.

Schepel hit .415 in 2008, belting nine home runs with 38 RBIs and 37 runs scored while moving back to his familiar position at shortstop. Schepel also drew 24 walks, bumping his on-base percentage to .509. Schepel was named first-team All-MIAA.

“My sophomore year was probably the most fun year of my whole career,” said Schepel. “We won the MIAA Championship, went to the NCAA tournament, and set a school record for wins, going 32-10. It was also the best year individually of my career, especially hitting the ball.”

In his junior year, Schepel “cooled down” to hit .363, tallying 32 RBIs and 43 runs scored. Schepel again garnered All-MIAA honors and was named to the second team.

But while Schepel’s baseball career was going well, his academics were struggling.

“I was getting tired of the academic aspect of college and wasn’t making it enough of a priority,” said Schepel. “I knew that if I wasn’t fully committed to my studies, things weren’t going to turn out well for me. So, I figured it was better for me to take some time off and work for a little bit.”

So he returned to his high school alma mater to help coach baseball and football. During his hiatus, Schepel learned the importance of each player’s role on the team as he coached.

Schepel also began to realize, however, that the longer he put off returning to school, the less likely it became that he would return to finish his degree. So, four years after leaving Calvin, Schepel returned, and in the spring of 2014, rejoined the baseball team.

“I finally felt like I was ready to fully commit to school again,” said Schepel. “I actually didn’t even know if I was going to be eligible to play baseball in the spring because I had been out of school for so long. Playing ball was definitely something I wanted to do if I could, but finishing up my degree was my main priority.”

Thought a little rusty to start the season, he ended strong: 5 home runs, 12 runs scored, 23 runs batted in, and a batting average of .531 in the final two-week stretch. He was later named to the All-MIAA first team as well as to all-region teams selected by D3baseball.com and the American Baseball Coaches Association.

While Schepel’s play on the field was certainly a large part of Calvin’s late surge, his leadership and experience were important factors as well.

“Matt’s experience coaching prior to returning to Calvin was invaluable for him,” said Sparks. “I think when you coach you see things from a different perspective than when you are playing. He was able to bring that experience back onto the playing field not only for himself, but also was able to communicate it to his teammates.”

With his baseball career over, Schepel turned his focus to the reason he returned—his degree. Schepel is an exercise physiology major with one year of schooling left. After graduation, Schepel hopes to return to coaching football or baseball.

“What I saw this time around (from Matt) was a very focused person—on his baseball goals and on his academic goals—that comes from a little more maturity and going through some life experiences,” said Calvin athletic director Jim Timmer. “There are a lot of places you could go to finish your degree, and I think in the end, his competitiveness came out in the classroom, and he decided, ‘I’m going to finish at Calvin.’ I have a tremendous respect for that.”