Alumni | Athletics | CommunityJuly 17, 2025

Rounding the Bases: Matthew Schilling’s Homecoming

Written By: Ian Silvester

As the July sun beats down on Crowder Field, Matthew Schilling and his teammates exchange reps at batting practice, dialing in their swings for an upcoming game.

He’s hard to miss—not just for his signature handlebar mustache, but for the focus and leadership he brings to the field.

A graduate of Southside High School, Schilling spent the first two years of his collegiate career in Kansas and Oklahoma. Then, he got a call that changed his life: Todd Holland, UAFS baseball head coach, asked him to return to his hometown and play for the Lions.

He wore the Lions uniform from 2023 until his graduation in May 2025, balancing the demands of the game with academics. To make room for both, Schilling enrolled in the online organizational leadership program, a decision that gave him the flexibility to fully commit to his sport, and his degree. 

“It made baseball easier. I didn’t have to miss practice or anything else,” he said. “As a student-athlete at UAFS, I learned more and grew more as a person.”

During his time with the Lions, a new chapter in Fort Smith baseball was unfolding. A professional summer league team, the Fort Smith Marshals, had arrived in town, offering current and recently graduated college players the chance to compete in a rigorous 60-plus-game season. For Schilling, the opportunity was too good to pass up.

“I was really curious about what it was going to be like,” he recalled. “I wasn’t sure what 68 games in three-four months was going to be like. It’s a lot of playing ball, but I never complained about playing baseball, so I thought it was going to be really fun. I told them, ‘Sign me up.’”

Schilling was part of the inaugural Marshals team, and he remembered the moment as surreal.

“It was absolutely packed,” he said with a smile.

After that first summer, he returned to the Lions for his final season, reclaiming his spot at shortstop on the same field he’d never really left.

“Having both programs [UAFS and the Marshals] helps the community. I think that with more support, the more the community can build around us,” he said. 

Schilling and the Marshals will begin their final home-stand of the season starting July 22, ending August 3. All home games are played at Crowder Field at UAFS.

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