Before playing club baseball at the University of Georgia, mastering his favorite recipes in the kitchen, shagging fly balls, and robbing would-be home runs during batting practice. Matt Ramaker learned a lesson that applies to everything in life: looking cool won’t save you; preparation will. He’s now manning three burners simultaneously: college, student manager of the baseball team, and an amateur chef career that features a cookbook, tailgates for hundreds, and a Cheez-It–crusted chicken parm that somehow turned into a real thing people request.
It came together the way anything real does- one rep at a time, one color-coded calendar alert at a time, and one “Why am I awake doing laundry at midnight?” confession. Now, he’s cooking literally and figuratively.
Matt’s baseball origin story doesn’t start with home runs or travel teams. It begins with a short, unremarkable run in T-ball, about half a season, some time spent picking flowers in the outfield, and an early exit before most kids even figure out you don’t dog pile on the ball when it’s hit. Baseball really didn’t stick then, but in 2016, it came back via a Cubs World Series run. With Aroldis Chapman on the mound, a house full of noise, and a celebration that left a mark. Baseball was interesting again. He started playing: Little League, travel ball, high school, and then club baseball at Georgia. Somewhere along the way, Matt realized his passion wasn’t between the lines; it was being in a front office operation. He adds, “I didn’t always know where I fit in baseball. I just knew I wanted to be around it.” That’s when things shifted.
“If you don’t plan your time, the schedule plans it for you.” - Matt
Being a student manager isn’t “school plus baseball.” It’s school inside baseball, wedged somewhere between practice schedules, equipment prep, and whatever assignment is due tomorrow morning. Most days, Matt is on a full baseball clock, noon to five, then stacks classes, exams, and deadlines on top of it. The only way it works is structure; everything is planned, mapped out, and tracked, because the moment you start guessing, it unravels. Social life takes the hit first. Sleep survives, but it’s not pretty, and stress can be high at times- especially in that stretch before the games start, when the work piles up, and nothing quite feels complete. And then the games arrive. Now there’s something else on the line.
“You’re there every single day, just as much as the players. It’s not glamorous, but you’re learning how a real program actually runs.” - Matt
Some guys decompress with video games. Matt makes vodka sauce. What started with Boy Scout campfires and survival food eventually turned into an appreciation for cast-iron pans; cooking stuck. It had crossed the line from hobby to something he actually lives in. Now, you can see it on Instagram and TikTok, forty-plus videos, his own cookbook. Around the facility, players don’t call him by his actual name. They call him “Matt Man Cooking.” He gets DMs for recipes, questions about seasoning a Blackstone, and yes, a player or two has eaten his Cheez-It–crusted chicken parm with vodka sauce. Matt’s official review? “It’s really good.” When asked what UGA baseball would be if it were a dish, he said, “A spicy salsa. Loud, aggressive. A lot going on. Home runs everywhere. Messy enough to get on your shirt if you’re not careful”.
“If I don’t think the food’s good, I won’t let anyone eat it. I hold myself to really high standards when I cook for other people.” - Matt
Matt doesn’t beat around the bush; he knows where this is headed. The goal is the front office, scouting, technology, and operations. Understanding how the game actually works behind the scenes and seeing the systems that keep a team moving. “I want to be in environments where the standard is high, and the work is constant” Matt proudly said. Managing is the work, and cooking is the outlet. You know the recipe- late nights, early mornings, shagging fly balls, laundry, calendars, and cast-iron cookware. Matt Ramaker isn’t just learning how to work in baseball. He’s receiving first-hand experience in how to run systems, manage pressure, and keep everything from burning when the heat’s turned up. Matt closes, “I’m in no hurry; I’m trying to do this right.”
You can find Matt’s cooking on:
TikTok / Instagram: mattman_cooking
Check out Matt’s cookbook: Mattman Cooking