On the diamond, Matt Riser was a main reason PRCC won a state title. He batted .376 as a sophomore and .347 as a freshman, compiling 110 hits, 30 doubles and 109 runs scored in his two-year junior college career. The Mississippi native prepped at Picayune Memorial High and was an All-State selection as a senior. Riser earned his degree in biomedical engineering from Tulane University in 2007.

Riser began his coaching career at Tulane after playing with the Green Wave in 2005-06. During his senior season, he belted three home runs, 37 RBI and 16 doubles.  During his junior campaign he helping Tulane reach the College World Series in 2005.

Riser played at PRCC and was coached by Bay St. Louis native Jay Artigues, the former PRCC head coach and Southeastern Louisiana head coach and current Lions director of athletics. Riser was earned All-Region XXIII and Region XXIII Defensive Player of the Year honors as a sophomore.

After coaching at Tulane, Riser became the primary hitting coach at Southeastern Louisiana under Artigues and worked with the Lions outfielders. Riser then spent 10 seasons as the head coach at Southeastern before being named the skipper at Memphis ahead of the 2023-24 school year.