Former Spartan Baseball Player Matt Byars Passes Away
7/20/2023 1:28:00 PM | Baseball
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Former Michigan State baseball player Matt Byars passed away Tuesday.
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"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Byars family," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "Matt was a joy to coach and his big personality was a huge part of our program both on and off the field. We're heartbroken at his passing due to a tragic rock climbing accident in Colorado."
Byars was a two-year letterwinner at MSU from 2016-17. He received the Danny Litwhiler Defensive Player of the Year MSU team award in 2016 after throwing out 12 runners during the season and leading the Big Ten in conference only stats with 11 doubles in B1G play. He was selected in the 24th round (No. 723 overall) by the Minnesota Twins in the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft, but returned to MSU for his senior season. In 2017, Byars started 47 games at catcher, missing five games with injuries, but again was among the team and conference leaders in doubles, knocking 14 on the season. Defensively, he threw out 12 base stealers, ranking tied for fourth in the B1G overall.
He came to MSU after two seasons at Heartland Community College in Normal, Illinois. A native of Lodi, Wisconsin, Byars was a four-year letterwinner in baseball at Lodi High School, leading Lodi to the Division II state championship his senior season, and also lettered in wrestling.
Byars is the son of Jeff and Christine Byars.
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"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Byars family," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "Matt was a joy to coach and his big personality was a huge part of our program both on and off the field. We're heartbroken at his passing due to a tragic rock climbing accident in Colorado."
Byars was a two-year letterwinner at MSU from 2016-17. He received the Danny Litwhiler Defensive Player of the Year MSU team award in 2016 after throwing out 12 runners during the season and leading the Big Ten in conference only stats with 11 doubles in B1G play. He was selected in the 24th round (No. 723 overall) by the Minnesota Twins in the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft, but returned to MSU for his senior season. In 2017, Byars started 47 games at catcher, missing five games with injuries, but again was among the team and conference leaders in doubles, knocking 14 on the season. Defensively, he threw out 12 base stealers, ranking tied for fourth in the B1G overall.
He came to MSU after two seasons at Heartland Community College in Normal, Illinois. A native of Lodi, Wisconsin, Byars was a four-year letterwinner in baseball at Lodi High School, leading Lodi to the Division II state championship his senior season, and also lettered in wrestling.
Byars is the son of Jeff and Christine Byars.
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