Georgia Southern University Athletics

AWARDS/HONORS
Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American (2014)
Southern Conference All-Freshman Team (2014)
Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference (2015-16)
Sun Belt Commissioner’s List (2014-15)
Sun Belt Commissioner's List (2015-16)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference (2016-17)
Sun Belt Player of the Week (Feb. 21, 2017)
Georgia Southern All-Academic Team (2017)
Georgia Southern Student-Athlete of the Year Nominee (2017)
Sun Belt Commissioner's List (2017)

SENIOR (2017): Started all 59 games and played all 529.1 innings at first base… Hit .274/.424/.553 as a senior… 29 of his 60 hits went for extra bases… Posted 13 doubles to tie for the team-high… Led the team with 16 home runs, ranking second in the conference… Walked 52 times to finish his career with 148 career walks, third-best in school history… Finished career ranked sixth in career doubles at Georgia Southern with 57… Hit 46 career home runs, tied for eighth on the career home runs chart… Hit two grand slams on the season including a go-ahead blast in the top of the ninth against South Alabama in the SBC Championship Game… Named Preseason All-Sun Belt before the 2017 campaign… Earned Sun Belt Player of the Week honors on April 21st in the opening weekend of the season… Named to the Georgia Southern All-Academic Team in 2017 and was a nominee for Georgia Southern Student-Athlete of the Year.

JUNIOR (2016): Started all 60 games at first base… Earned second team All-Sun Belt honors… Hit .286/.586/.404 in 273 plate appearances… .586 slugging pct ranked third in the conference… Second on the team with 65 hits in 227 AB… Led the team and ranked fifth in the conference in doubles with 17… Led the team, tied for most in the conference, and tied 33rd in the nation in home runs with 15… Tied for team lead in triples with three… Led the team and ranked fourth in the conference in total bases with 133… 15-game hitting streak and 37-game reached base streak were longest on the team… Tied for second on the team with 15 multiple hit games… Led the team with 17 multiple RBI games and RBI with 55… Led the team and tied for fourth in the conference in runs scored with 49… Led the team and tied for fourth in the conference with 38 BB… Second on the team and tied for sixth in the conference in stolen bases going 12-for-14… Led the team and ranked fifth in the conference with 467 putouts… Season-high five RBI at South Alabama (5/7)… Triples were hit at Appalachian State (3/12 Game 1), at Kennesaw State (4/26), and vs. Georgia State (5/21)… Hit two home runs at UT Arlington (4/16 Game 1)… Stole a season-high three bases vs. Kennesaw State (3/8)… Had a pair of three-hit games at College of Charleston (4/5) and vs. Little Rock (4/23)… Named to Sun Belt Commissioner's List.

SOPHOMORE (2015): Started 45 games at first base... Tallied 54 games played with 46 total starts... Hit .244/.477/.343 with 11 doubles and 10 home runs... Ranked sixth in the Sun Belt in home runs... Tallied 10 multi-hit games with a pair of four hit games at Texas State (3/28) and at Clemson (5/10)... Recorded seven multi-RBI games including five at Little Rock (4/19) and at Clemson (5/10)... Slugged two home runs at Little Rock (4/19)... Named to Sun Belt Commissioner’s List.

FRESHMAN (2014): Named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American and selected to the Southern Conference All-Freshman Team after a solid freshman campaign in which he slugged .428, led the team with 16 doubles and tallied six home runs... Hit .253/.368/.428 with 31 RBI in 53 games... Made 52 starts at first base... Walked a team-best 32 times and struck out 49 times... Committed just six errors and posted a .988 fielding percentage... Had 14 multi-hit games and 8 multi-RBI games... Tallied four hits, two doubles and drove in a run in the Georgia series... Hit a double and a home run and drove in three runs against UMES (2/22)... Tallied two home runs, scored three runs and drove in three more against Ohio (3/2)... Doubled in five-straight games (3/23-30)... Posted his second multi-home run game and plated six runs on four hits at Wofford (4/27).

PREP: Played for head coach Ronnie Royston at Stephens County High School... Lettered four times for the Indians... Named All-Region twice... Selected as the team’s Player of the Year, Hitter of the Year and Team MVP in 2013... Hit .427 with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs as a senior... Participated in Perfect Game’s WWBA Tournament as a junior... Also lettered in football three times... Posted a 3.9 GPA in high school.

PERSONAL: Born Matthew Ryan Cleveland on July 27, 1995 in Toccoa, Ga... Son of Andrea and Derek Cleveland... Has one brother, Ben, who plays offensive line at Georgia.

MAJOR: Justice Studies