Indians pitcher Jake Matthews has 10 fingers. So, technically, he has enough room to win eight more state baseball championships before he runs out of room for the rings.

Even so, the left hander who transferred to Powhatan this year would be happy just to get the three-pete, adding one more state win to the back-to-back state wins he helped earn at James River.

“That’s the goal,” said Matthews last week, just after signing his official letter to play next year at Liberty University.

Before he heads off to Lynchburg to take the hill for the Flames, Matthews will take his place in the Indians rotation alongside Hunter Gordon and Sam Scherzer.

The Indians are coming off a championship season themselves – after capturing the first baseball state win in the school’s history – and Matthews says he’s looking forward to being part of the team. He said he’s already become friends with the guys he’ll be playing with, and said he’s been welcomed with open arms.

Matthews, who also considered Radford and Marshall, says he chose the Christian university because he doesn’t think he’ll have to worry about as many negative influences.

It’s not just the school that he’s made up his mind about either. Matthews, a self-described numbers guy, says he plans to major in accounting and make his career either as an accountant or in a related field.

Flames head baseball coach Jim Toman, for his part, is eager to welcome Matthews to Lynchburg. “Jake is a classic left- hander that pitches in the mid-80’s with his fastball,” Toman said last week. “He can throw three quality pitches for strikes in any count and really knows how to compete. We are very pleased that Jake has decided to join our program and we have high expectations for him to make an immediate impact.”