Merced’s Matthew Farias signs with independent baseball league

It was one of the longest waits of Matthew Farias’ life.

In truth, the phone call came less than a month after his tryout with the California Winter League, but when waiting to realize one’s dreams, time seems to move extra slowly.

The call came from an unexpected, yet no less welcome, source as the former Merced High and Merced College baseball player received an offer from the new Ozarks Pro Baseball League in Missouri. It’s a professional independent league with the goal of earning players major-league contracts, and Farias wasted little time signing.

“Some coaches had been in contact with me, so I had a good feeling the tryout went well,” Farias said. “But it was still a long wait. Someone from Ozarks contacted me and made an offer. I signed on Feb. 15.

“It’s basically the equivalent of rookie ball in the minor leagues, so I’m excited for this opportunity. The league is putting us up in an apartment and paying us a stipend, and I’ll pretty much have to take care of everything else.”

The Ozarks league will field six teams in its first season, with Farias playing for the Ozark Mountaineers. The schedule is still being finalized, but players will report and get situated on July 1. According to the league’s Facebook page, the season is tentatively set to start July 24.

“I’ve never really been or played in that part of the country before, so it should be an experience,” Farias said. “I’ve been told it’s 90 percent humidity and you’ll pretty much be drenched within five minutes of stepping onto the field.”

Farias’ former coach, Chris Pedretti, wasn’t surprised to hear of the signing, saying Farias’ passion for the game was evident when he played at Blue Devil Field.

“He’s definitely a kid committed to the game and always looking for a place to keep playing,” Pedretti said. “He started at first (base) for us and was a big contributor his sophomore year. He was a competitor and I’m sure that hasn’t changed.”

Farias acknowledged this was just a first step toward his ultimate goal, but an important one.

“I’ve waited my whole life to play professional baseball,” Farias said. “The goal is to do well and get some exposure so I’m picked up by a minor-league team. I’m excited for the opportunity.”

This story was originally published June 25, 2015 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Merced’s Matthew Farias signs with independent baseball league."