REGIONAL— Area sports fans, this week, are remembering one of the best athletes ever to don a high school baseball uniform in the region. Josh Mathson, who grew up in Embarrass and helped power the BEST Beavers to two state tournaments, died April 4 in an automobile accident in southwest Texas. He was just 29-years-old.

“As a player, he really was unbelievable,” said Lon Lamppa, of Tower, who served as assistant coach to the Beavers during Mathson’s stint with the team. “He had all the attributes you need in a player. He had power, and he had speed. Whether he was on offense or defense, he could do it all.”

Mathson was a powerful presence on the Beavers’ squad, with his bushy red hair, that he often wore long, and his broad shoulders that helped power a legendary home run swing. Statistically, Mathson was a phenom, who achieved an incredible .693 on base percentage in 2004 and a career percentage of .580.

Years after he played at the high school level, Mathson is still ranked number one in Minnesota in career home runs, with 32, and total career bases, with 317. He’s also ranked number two in the state in total season bases, with 101, career hits, with 173, and career doubles, with 38. And he’s ranked number four, right behind Joe Mauer, for the most home runs in a single season, and is rated number four in slugging percentage as well.

And that was just on offense. From atop the pitcher’s mound, Mathson’s power regularly gave BEST the edge, especially in the clutch, and he was a workhorse that the team could rely on time and again. Indeed, he still holds the state title for the most games pitched in a high school career, at 61, and is rated third for innings pitched, at 270.2.

He’s also ranked number eight for career strikeouts, with 319.

Lamppa recalls that Mathson was the player you wanted at the plate when the chips were down. While his reputation as a power hitter was well-deserved, he could deliver in any number of situations. “He could spray the ball all around the field as he needed to,” recalls Lamppa.

As a left-handed hitter, Mathson scorched line drives into right field often enough that Lamppa, who coached at first, always stepped back from the line when Mathson took the plate.

“Without a doubt, he’s one of the very best left-handed hitters we’ve ever had up here,” said longtime high school baseball umpire and sports fan Dennis Minier, of Ely. “And he just loved to play the game. He always had a smile on his face.”

Lamppa recalls Mathson as a quiet leader for the team, one who led by example. “His actions spoke volumes,” said Lamppa.

Mathson, not surprisingly, caught the eye of some major league scouts, and he ultimately did pursue a baseball career. He accepted an offer to play for Iowa Central Community College and went on to play professionally for an independent minor league team in west Texas. Over the years, he had married and settled in El Paso. He leaves behind his wife, Cera Mathson, one son and a stepson, as well as his parents, who still live in Embarrass.