Szczur (pronounced “Caesar”) was originally selected by the Cubs in the fifth round of the 2010 Draft out of Villanova University.
“We’ve had the great fortune to get to know Matt the last seven-plus months and are excited by his decision to devote himself completely to baseball and the Cubs,” said Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry. “We’ve come to know Matt not only as a talented athlete but also as an exceptional person. He had a fantastic pro debut with us last summer and we look forward to supporting and fostering his continued development as a baseball player.”
Szczur, 21, combined to bat .347 (35-for-101) with 10 doubles, one triple, 10 RBI, 24 runs scored, a .414 on-base percentage and a .465 slugging percentage in 25 professional games in the Cubs organization in 2010. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder spent the majority of the season with short-season Single-A Boise, where he hit safely in all 18 games with a .397 batting average (29-for-73) to earn a six-game promotion to Single-A Peoria before reporting to the Villanova football team in August. Szczur, who bats and throws righthanded, is a native of Cape May, N.J.
In his junior baseball season (2010), Szczur hit .443 (77-for-174) and was named to the All-Big East first team after leading the team in eight offensive categories. The prior Fall, he helped lead Villanova to its first National Championship (Football Championship Subdivision) as a junior in 2009. Szczur was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year and Special Teams Player of the Year. In the national championship, he rushed for a career-high 159 yards, 270 all-purpose yards and was named Most Outstanding Player.
Szczur missed most of the 2010 college football season due to a high ankle sprain but returned in time for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, where in the quarterfinal round he accounted for five touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving, one passing) in a 42-24 win vs. Appalachian State on December 11. Villanova lost in the semifinals to eventual National Champion Eastern Washington on December 17. Szczur will not participate in the Senior Bowl on January 29.
Source: Chicago.cubs.mlb.com