SYCAMORE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Moeller baseball coach Tim Held can’t help but to smile when he reflects on the opportunity this weekend for two of his former players who may be on cusp of playing professionally.
The Major League Baseball Draft starts Saturday afternoon (1 p.m.) in Philadelphia with the first four rounds slated during the first day. The draft resumes at 11:30 a.m. Sunday with Rounds 5-20.
University of Kentucky football and baseball signee Matt Ponatoski, who just graduated from Moeller this spring, and Xavier University outfielder Clay Burdette, a 2023 Moeller graduate, may have opportunities this weekend in the MLB Draft.
If Ponatoski and Burdette are drafted and elect to play professionally, the two would become the 49th and 50th Moeller graduates to play pro baseball, according to Held.
“To watch these guys have an opportunity to play professionally – especially with the great young men that we have come here – both Matt and Clay are just incredible people and great to all the younger players in our program and our school,” Held said Monday morning.
Burdette impressed at the MLB Draft Combine during pro-style workouts on the second day. He hit .343 at XU this past season and had 30 home runs overall in two seasons with the program.
Ponatoski has been in the spotlight for quite a few years in the Greater Cincinnati high school sports scene.
Ponatoski, a quarterback in football, won the 2024 Ohio Mr. Football award and was a finalist in his senior season in 2025.
Ponatoski threw for 2,402 yards and 28 touchdowns with just one interception this past season for Moeller (8-4), a Division I regional semifinalist. He is Moeller's leader in all-time career passing yards, career passing touchdowns and single-season passing yards.
In baseball, Ponatoski helped to lead Moeller (25-7) to the Division I state runner-up finish in June.
Ponatoski struck out eight batters in five innings in a Division I regional final victory over Centerville this season. He was in the 92 to 96 miles per hour range on his pitches.
He also struck out five and won the Division I state semifinal over Perrysburg in early June. Ponatoski hit .385 for his career with 101 hits, 94 runs batted in, 17 doubles and eight home runs.
Ponatoski has the distinction of being at the top or near the top in several Moeller baseball program statistical categories including plate appearances (third in career, 344), hits (seventh in career with 101), home runs (10th in career with seven), runs scored (third in career, 91), runs batted in (second in career, 94) and walks (first in career, 67). He was also the ninth Moeller player to have 100 hits in his career.
Ponatoski, who was ranked No. 1 in Ohio’s 2026 class by Prep Baseball this past preseason, was also the 2025 Gatorade Ohio Baseball Player of the Year.
Ponatoski attended the MLB Draft combine in Arizona in late June and met with some teams. Scouts have kept close tabs on Ponatoski going back to this past winter when he told WCPO 9 Sports in February that he had spoken with 27 MLB teams.
“Matt’s in a great position,” Held said Monday. “He had a great career here. The way he threw. A lot more was put on him this year on the mound, doing more as a pitcher. So seeing that piece being added to what he’s done as a hitter – I think he’s in a great spot.”
Held said Ponatoski is preparing physically for whatever opportunity is best after the draft.
One thing is clear: Ponatoski made a significant impact at Moeller in two sports.
“His legacy is just going to be a guy that’s going to be talked about for a long, long time,” Held said. “With what he did on the baseball field. Where his name is going to be in our records. What he has done consistently for three years – both as a hitter and adding this pitching piece to it. The football side of it – you’re put in as the starting quarterback in the middle of the playoffs as a freshman definitely draws a lot of attention. And so for him to have all that hype surrounding his name all these years and for him to continue to produce – he’ll be a guy that will be talked about at Moeller for a long, long time.”
