Q & A: Talking baseball with a Hokie

Player: Matt Blow
Position: First base
Team: Woodstock River Bandits
Age: 21
Hometown: Richmond
College: Virginia Tech

Q: What is your favorite baseball memory?
A: I'd have to say being at Virginia Tech. We had some pretty big games. We play in a real good conference in the ACC. I would say when we beat Miami when they were No. 1 in the country two years ago. And then this past year we had a good season, we took two out of three from No. 10 in the country U.Va. and they ended up going to the College World Series.

Q: Who is the funniest person on the team?
A: Probably [pitcher] Stephen Hunt. He does some good impressions of some different guys and he's a good character on the field.

Q: If you could play a sport other than baseball, what would it be?
A: I'd have to say football just because of the atmosphere. I love the football atmosphere and everything like that -- but I love baseball. I never really played football, I played for one year and it just wasn't my sport.

Q: Where in Woodstock do you normally pass your free time?
A: I hang out with my teammate, Mike Garza, a lot. We just hang out at his house, play a bunch of ping pong, movies, stuff like that. Otherwise I just hang out with coach [Donn] Foltz because I live with him this summer.

Q: What is one thing your teammates don't know about you?
A: I used to pitch. I actually went to William and Mary and was a two-way player, I was a pitcher and an infielder at William and Mary.

Q: What's something you couldn't live without?
A: I'd say the support from my family and friends. I keep in touch with a lot of guys, my best friends and my family, basically every day. Just talking to them gets me through it.

Q: What's it mean to you to be selected to the all-star team this year?
A: It's awesome. It's a great honor. I've been lucky enough to hit well this summer, and I was lucky enough to be chosen to the all-star team, so I'm excited about it and I can't wait to play in it.

Q: Was there anything that surprised you when you came into the Valley Baseball League?
A: I actually played in this league last summer, too. I guess something that I had changed from last summer is that I wasn't so nervous. Summer ball sometimes can be a little nerve racking, coming in and playing against a bunch of different players. But this summer I'm trying to have a little more fun and trying to be a little more aggressive, and it's worked out.