Hiestand A Success Story in Every Endeavor

"Jack of all trades, master of all."

That’s the best phrase to describe Matt Hiestand (pronounced HEE-stand) and his many talents, but you could also throw in any number of others, such as "one-of-a-kind" or "small-town boy makes good."

Hiestand began to display the abilities that would make him a star at The College of Wooster during the late 1980s in a small town outside of Tiffin, Ohio. He earned first-team all-state honors in basketball and golf as a high schooler, and as if that wasn’t enough, Hiestand was the valedictorian of his class at Old Fort while scratching the surface of a baseball talent that would eventually make him a pro prospect.

Most college coaches bristled at the thought of Hiestand playing both men’s basketball and baseball — but Wooster’s Lu Wims and Tim Pettorini welcomed the idea.

"I was recruited in both sports," explained Hiestand in a 1988 interview. "That was the main reason I came to Wooster, as well as the outstanding reputation of the chemistry department and their support of athletes.

"They encouraged two-sport athletes. I considered Kenyon (College) and Denison (University), but those schools didn’t express an interest in me as a baseball player.

Ironically, his prowess on the diamond is what he is most remembered for. With the Scots, Hiestand developed into a .372 career hitter (196-for-527) with 34 doubles, 37 home runs, and 183 runs batted in during 160 games. The outfielder/first baseman earned all-league honors all four years, including as a senior when he was picked North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year, and still ranks among Wooster’s top-five in career homers, RBI, slugging percentage (.677), and on-base percentage (.479).

That’s not to take anything away from what he did on the basketball court. After all, there are only 11 other cagers to this day who have been three-time all-league honorees for the third-most winningest program in NCAA Division III. Statistically, Hiestand eclipsed the 1000-point (1040), and 500-rebound marks (569) for his career, while usually drawing the toughest defensive assignment, but most importantly the 6-4 post/wing exhibited an unselfishness that helped build the foundation for what is now one of the best teams in the nation.

"No doubt about it, he was a special performer," commented current coach Steve Moore, who took over for Wims after Hiestand’s freshman year and has guided the program to a 359-92 record since. "The other thing was he was a great leader … we couldn’t have handpicked a better guy (to help) turn around the program in the very beginning there … (with his) approach to practices and off-season work.

"We owe so much to Matt for the success of our program throughout the years. Passing it down from the next set of players to the next set … Matt started all of that."

Hiestand carried his unmatched focus and work ethic into his studies at Wooster, and when the Academic All-American didn’t receive a call from Major League Baseball, he enrolled in medical school, which was his plan all along.

Today, Hiestand is a successful physician at Bolivar Family Health Center in Bolivar, Ohio, where he specializes in internal medicine and pediatrics. He is married to Lori and they have two daughters — Rachel (6) and Katherine (3).

"I think he was an outstanding player, and just a guy you could count on everyday," Pettorini said in summing up Hiestand’s baseball career. "You knew what you were going to get from him. So consistent, so steady. Everybody knew every game that he was going to be solid and lead the way."