CARLISLE, Ma. - While COVID-19 slowed down the recruiting process for most, Matt Travisano has made a decision on his college future.

“They made an offer in January,” the incoming junior at Noble and Greenough said about Pittsburgh, where a commitment was recently made by the 443rd-rated player in the nation in the 2022 class. “We sat on that for a while, but with everything going on with the virus and everyone committing, plus the possibility of not playing in the summer, I pulled the trigger on Pitt. It’s a good fit for me with academics and baseball.”

The decision in late May completed a recruiting process that began with the Atlantic Coast Conference school last summer.

“The first time they saw me was at a PBR event at Lake Point in Georgia,” the ninth-ranked player in New England’s 2022 class said in reference to the Future Games. “We talked in the fall and they said they wanted to see me in the spring and summer and see how things were going.”

But with no high school campaign, communication was limited.

“We made contact every couple weeks,” related Travisano, who was also being recruited by Northeastern, Rutgers and Notre Dame. “I also sent a couple hitting videos.” 

The ability at the plate by the 5-11 180-pounder, who has an exit velo of 91, is just one of the traits that was attractive to Pittsburgh.

“They like my infield work,” the second-rated 2022 shortstop in New England said. “I committed there to be an infielder. I knew in college I wanted to be an infielder and Pitt said they really liked me in the infield and that I could play there every day.”

However, there is more to his game thanks in part to recent improvement.

“One thing I’ve improved on the past couple years is my speed in terms of my 60 time,” Travisano pointed out. “I used to run 7.4-7.5 and for a middle infielder that’s not good. So I started to work out and built up strength to get it down to 6.77.

“My hitting has also gotten better. Now I make solid contact all the time and hit the ball hard.”

The drive to continue to make strides remains for the 3.4 student looking at a major in finance and economics.

“I need to improve on being more aggressive early in the count,” Travisano noted. “I have a habit of going down 0-1, 0-2 in the count.

“Another thing I’m working on is in the field. A play that is particularly hard for me is the backhand in the hole. I need to be able to do it in one fluid motion and be able to throw and get the guy out. That’s tough for me. And I’m also working on the slow roller.”

Hard work began for Travisano when interest in college baseball picked up in eighth grade.

“My dad signed me up for a Boston College baseball camp,” Travisano reflected. “I went there and saw sophomores and juniors in high school and saw how good they were. I learned what I needed to do to get where they are.”

College baseball soon took on some realism for Travisano.

“The first time I talked with a college coach on the phone was very surprising,” Travisano related. “When it first happened it made me want to be much more.”

His parents, along with coach Rob Murray at Noble & Greenough, have been a big part of the baseball journey for Travisano.

“My dad and mom pushed me and helped every stop of the way, from putting me in a good school like Noble and Greenough to making me want to be the best I can be on the field and in the classroom,” Travisano said. “Coach Murray has also been very influential in helping me become a better player.”

The beneficiary is now Pittsburgh, which has not won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship since joining the league in 2013.

“Of all the options I had, Pitt is in the best conference,” Travisano noted. “I really like the ACC and the school is pretty close to home.”

With a commitment in hand, the 93rd-ranked 2022 shortstop in North America looks forward to the immediate future in getting ready for a future at Pitt in a couple of years.

“My recruitment was about what I thought,” explained Travisano, whose home is a nine-hour drive from the Pittsburgh campus. “There were a lot of calls, but it was a fun process when you’re in it. When you’re out of it, it’s relieving. Now I can just focus on my game. We can start practice soon and be able to play in local tournaments. Although my travel team isn’t able to go to Georgia, there will be a lot of working out and hitting as much as I can.

“When I get to Pitt I’ll bring my competitiveness,” Travisano added. “I work hard and I’m a very avid weightlifter. I work on baseball every day, anything to improve my game.”