CINCINNATI - Less than a month after talk with Louisville began, Matthew Pera has committed to the Atlantic Coast Conference school.

“It all happened quickly,” the Turpin freshman said. “A guy I hit with was sending videos out so he sent them to Louisville and they liked it.

“I was talking with five others, but Louisville pushed the hardest. The others wanted to take it slowly with a lot of weekly calls.”

The top-rated 2024 outfielder in Ohio made an impression on Louisville.

“They like my projectability and my frame,” the 6-2 155-pound left-handed hitter explained. “They said I have a next-level swing with a plus arm and plus speed.”

The ninth-ranked sophomore in the state found a lot to like about the school in Kentucky, located two hours from his Cincinnati home.

“I caught a Louisville Duke game so I saw the stadium and the campus,” Pera reflected. “They hit on player development hard and with academics you can graduate in 31/2 years instead of four. It had all the things I was looking for in a college.”

Earlier in life, Pera considered another sport.

“I’ve always played competitive baseball and also AAU basketball,” Pera related. “I had interest in both but then started to get more interest in baseball.”

So what is it Pera likes so much about the sport?

“The competitive nature, the teammate experience, the longer season,” Pera explained about America’s Pastime. “In baseball you can have a bad AB or an error and you can redeem yourself the next inning.”

Playing at the next level only became realistic recently.

“I was always a guy that hit at the bottom of the order,” Pera admitted. “I didn’t have much power. But I’m more of a late bloomer. I began progressing, my swing developed and I started to get more pop off my bat.”

There were others that proved beneficial along the way.

“My hitting coach was very helpful and so was going to the weight room,” Pera pointed out. “I’m still skinny, but I’m working on that.

“My family also helped. My brother (Jake Pera), who committed to Miami Hamilton (NAIA),has always pushed me. He played on some really good teams and I got to see glimpses of what the recruiting process was like. That helped me be prepared, along with him pushing me with school work and pushing me mentally and physically.

“My dad’s always been there throwing BP and making videos,” added Pera. “My teammates are also always pushing me so I’m not satisfied.”

Pera plans to be a major asset to the Louisville program.

“I work the count,” Pera explained. “I do my job at the plate, if it means bunting or advancing the runner. And I’ve got a strong arm from the outfield.”

Pera, who carries a 4.07 weighted GPA and lists medicine as a potential college major, admits recruitment was satisfying in the long run.

“It all happened so quickly,” the 15-year-old said. “All of a sudden I’m talking with multiple schools weekly about a month ago. There were a lot of phone calls because of Covid.

“It was all surreal,” Pera continued. “I never thought I’d be in that position so fast. It’s also relieving with all you have to think about. It was stressful at times.”

Now the focus is on improving before becoming a Cardinal three years from now.

“Definitely my strength can improve,” Pera noted. “I need to put on a lot more weight, continue to develop my swing and work on my fielding at different positions.”