Brian Matusz, the left-handed pitcher known for his success against David Ortiz, has passed away at the age of 37.

Brian Robert Matusz was born on February 11, 1987, in Grand Junction, Colorado, into an athletic family. His father, Michael, competed in track and field at Purdue University, and his brother, Chris, played baseball at Iowa Wesleyan University.

Matusz’s baseball career began to flourish at St. Mary’s High School in Phoenix. As a junior in 2004, he posted an 8-2 record with a 0.95 ERA, earning first-team All-State honors in Arizona. During his senior year in 2005, he went 8-1 with a remarkable 0.50 ERA and was named the Arizona Player of the Year.

After being selected by the Angels in the fourth round of the 2005 MLB Draft, Matusz chose instead to attend the University of San Diego. He had an outstanding three-year career with the Toreros, culminating in being named the West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2008. Matusz was a two-time finalist for the Golden Spikes Award and led the NCAA with 141 strikeouts during his junior season. He finished that year with a 12-1 record and a 1.71 ERA, which was the fourth-best single-season ERA in school history. By the time he graduated, Matusz was the all-time leader in strikeouts at San Diego with 396.

When Matusz joined the Baltimore Orioles, the team was building a strong young pitching staff. In 2009, they drafted right-hander Matt Hobgood in the first round, and pitchers such as Jake Arrieta, Brad Bergesen, Zack Britton, and Chris Tillman were expected to become key members of the Orioles’ rotation for years to come.

Matusz, best known for his success against David Ortiz, passed away at the age of 37.