A shoulder injury derailed Suffolk native Matt Holt’s sophomore season after a promising freshman outing.

Things looked good for the start of the sophomore year for Holt. He was coming off of a freshman season that saw an abundance of accolades. He was named Big 5 Rookie of the Year and Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team. He was twice honored as A-10 Rookie of the Week and Big 5 Pitcher of the Week.

He earned his way into the weekend rotation after outstanding play, especially in the Liberty Bell Tournament, where he led the Explorers to a championship win over Penn at Citizens Bank Park. For the start of the sophomore season, he was named the starting ace of the team.

Holt suffered through an ulnar collateral ligament injury, which limited him to about 15 games. He spent most of the season rehabbing with the pitching coach and athletic trainer.

Holt is currently on a summer throwing program and has been focusing on getting stronger.

The injury was the most serious of his baseball career to this point. He had a shoulder injury in his time at Nansemond River High School but not to the magnitude of this shoulder injury. It put things into perspective for him.

“You never know when is your last chance to play baseball, or any sport for that matter,” Holt said. “It can all be taken away from you at any moment.”

One thing that helped him through his injury was the help of his family and friends.

“Family was encouraging me through my darkest times,” he said. “Throughout the season the coaches had the utmost confidence in my ability to pitch and perform at a high level.”

Holt is confident that he can be at 100 percent by the time his junior season rolls around. When he returns to the field, he just wants to improve upon his freshman season.

At Nansemond River, Holt helped the Warriors win a state title his senior year. He was also an All-Conference and All-State selection.