Missouri State

Honors
• Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2020)
• MVC Honor Roll (2018)

2020 (Sophomore)
Returned from injury to pitch in five games with four starting assignments ... Posted a 3.48 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 20.2 innings to go with a 1-1 record ... Tossed a season-long five innings in three of his four starts ... Earned the win by allowing a run and scattering four hits in five innings at Austin Peay (Feb. 20) ... Struck out a season-high six batters at Oral Roberts (Feb. 25) ... Surrended just two extra base hits on the year.

2019 (Redshirt)
Russell sat out the season as a medical redshirt while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

2018 (Freshman)
Established himself as dominant presence out of the Bears’ bullpen as a freshman, recording three saves and 26 strikeouts in 27.2 innings over 18 appearances ... Turned in 11 scoreless outings, including three during Missouri Valley Conference play; logged five-straight shutout appearances spanning 10.2 total innings from March 21 through April 10 ... Struck out two hitters in a scoreless inning of relief in his debut outing vs. Texas Southern (Feb. 16) in the season opener, then registered his first save as a Bear against the Tigers two days later ... Earned another save against No. 24 ECU (March 3) with a scoreless inning and a third, striking out two Pirates in the 7-4 victory ... Worked 4.1 innings of one-hit relief and fanned six in a win over Murray State (March 21), then tossed 4.0 additional scoreless frames vs. Evansville (April 7) to pick up his third save ... Notched his first collegiate win in his first start, working 5.0 innings of a 12-3 victory over Illinois State (April 21) ... Completed 2.2 scoreless innings at Valparaiso (May 6) before an injury cut his season short ... Named to the MVC Honor Roll.

Background
Logged an impressive prep career as a right-handed stopper for Kansas City’s Staley High School, the same program that produced former MSU All-American Bryan Young and current Bears outfielder Jack Duffy ... Recorded 12 mound victories over his final two seasons for Staley, earning Missouri Class 5 All-State recognition each year ... Went 6-1 with a 1.55 ERA and 71 strikeouts in just 40.2 innings to pick up second-team high school All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball as a senior ... Fashioned a 6-2 record to go along with a 1.94 earned run average to help his club to a school-record 31 wins and a district title as a junior ... Completed a 4-0 ledger with a 2.78 ERA as part of a Falcons’ squad that posted state runner-up finish in 2015 ... Rated as the fourth-best Missouri prep prospect in this year’s class, the No. 2 right-handed pitcher in the state by PBR.

Personal
Matthew Russell is the son of Anthony and Marguerite Russell ... Born March 28, 1999, in Kansas City, Mo. ... Majoring in general business at MSU.