The San Diego Padres has selected the contract of minor leaguer Matt Batten, a Shelton native and former Qunnipiac star.

St. Joseph baseball coach Jim Chaves will not go as far as to say he knew Matt Batten would one day be playing Major League Baseball, but he will say he always knew there was something that set him apart for most other players.

“I always knew he was a major league winning player, but I can’t say I knew he’d be in the majors one day. A lot has to happen to make it there,” Chaves said. “But he always had a knack for big hits and big plays in big spots. In 2013, he hit the game-winning double to win the state championship.”

His double to left-centerfield came in the top of the 9th inning in that state final game, giving the Cadets a 2-1 win over Northwestern for their first state title since 1985.

It was a fitting way for Batten to end his high school career and ensured Chaves would never forget him.

Now, Batten will be remembered for even more, becoming the first St. Joseph’s baseball player and first Shelton native to make it to Major League Baseball when the Padres called him up from AAA El Paso on Thursday.

Batten was not in the Padres starting lineup Friday night against the Dodgers, but he is in the dugout.

Chaves said he and Batten text or call each other often and he felt a call-up was imminent, but Batten wouldn’t talk about it for fear of jinxing it.

Chaves said he was coaching an American Legion game Thursday night when he got a text from Batten telling him it was official.

“It’s great for him and great for our program. Not too many FCIAC programs can say they have sent guys to Major League Baseball,” Chaves said. “It’s something we will always be able to point to with future players. Having him come from here and knowing how he had to work his way through the system and learn to play almost every position is incredible. He is a 12-out of-10 as a person and just a great leader and captain.”

Batten had been on fire in El Paso with the Padres’ AAA affiliate this season, hitting .299/.399/.504 with a career-high 10 home runs and 13 stolen bases.

Chaves has not seen Batten play in person since college because he has been in leagues outside the area since being drafted.

Batten, 27, will be making his first trip to the big league club after being drafted in the 32nd round of the 2017 MLB draft out of Quinnipiac.

At Quinnipiac, Batten left as the school’s all-time leader in hits (249), stolen bases (65) and runs scored (139) and once had a 25-game hitting streak.

At St. Joseph, Batten was a two-time CHSCA All-State and two-time All-FCIAC First Team selection.

He was also the starting shortstop for the Shelton National team that advanced to the 2008 Little League World Series.

Chaves said he remembers how small Batten was on that Little League team and how he kept growing through high school and college.

“He was not the biggest kid on that Shelton team. Even when he first got to high school, he was smaller and knew that meant he had to work even harder on the little things, which is what he always did,” Chaves said. “Because he did that in high school, he became the best defensive player I have coached and that continued at Quinnipiac where he was known for his tremendous defense. He wasn’t drafted out of high school, he had to work all through college for it. He was our shortstop, but if I had told him to go play right field, he would have sprinted out there and been the best right fielder in the state. That’s why when he was in the minors he was able to play so many positions and make himself so valuable.”

Batten has played all four infield positions and some outfield in the minors and is expected to fill a utility role for the Padres.

St. Joseph’s baseball has two players currently chasing MLB dreams with Batten and Stephen Paolini, who was taken by Atlanta in the fifth round of the 2019 MLB Draft straight out of high school.

Paolini, a Fairfield native, is currently playing for the Class A Augusta Green Jackets.

“I check Batten and Paolini’s stats every night,” Chaves said. “They are always part of the St. Joseph family and I know a lot of people will be watching the game tonight to see if Matt plays.”

Scott is a sports writer for GametimeCT and Hearst Connecticut Media, writing about high school sports across Connecticut. He also has co-hosted "Just for Kicks," the high school soccer podcast, and "high and Tight," a high school baseball podcast.