Born in Wharton, Texas, Matula was originally selected by the Montreal Expos in the 16th round of the 1972 MLB Draft. But he chose not to sign, instead going on to attend Sam Houston State University. He was drafted again by the Braves in the 14th round of the 1976 draft, and after signing was assigned to the Kingsport Braves. There, Matula went 3–5 with a 2.63 ERA in 20 appearances (48 innings pitched). He also appeared in three games for the Greenwood Braves, posting a 1–0 record and 7.50 ERA in six innings. Overall that season, Matula went 4–5 with a 3.17 ERA in 54 innings.\n', '

In 1977, Matula split time between the Greenwood Braves and Savannah Braves. With Greenwood, he went 2–1 with a 2.14 ERA in 21 innings of work. With Savannah, he went 8–5 with a 3.24 ERA in 100 innings (22 games). Combined, he went 10–6 with a 3.05 ERA.\n', '

Matula went a combined 10–5 with a 3.12 ERA in 127 innings in 1978. He split time between the Savannah Braves and Richmond Braves.\n', '

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