2015: Appeared in 51 games, all starts, while spending time at second base, third base, catcher, right field and as the team’s designated hitter … led the Redbirds and the Missouri Valley Conference with 14 home runs … named an All-MVC First-Team selection for the season year in a row … named a Louisville Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball, as well as a Preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association … was a Midseason All-American selection by D1Baseball.com … named an American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings Midwest All-Region Team … named to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list … slashed .333/.427/.605 with 70 hits, 15 doubles, 47 runs scored, 48 RBIs and 127 total bases … led the Redbirds in slugging percentage, hits, doubles, RBIs and total bases … tied an Illinois State single-game record with three home runs at Eastern Illinois (3/31) … drove in a career-high six runs against Eastern Illinois (3/31) … recorded 24 multi-hit games, including seven games with three-or-more hits … matched a career high with four runs scored at Eastern Illinois (3/31) … hit two doubles against LIU-Brooklyn (3/14), and later repeated the feat against Eastern Kentucky (3/21) and SIUE (5/2) … walked four times at Wichita State (4/10) … was a two-time MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week (2/25 and 3/11) … named a Capital One Academic All-America and All-District selection … was a MVC Scholar-Athlete First-Team selection for the second-straight year … named to MVC and AFNI honor rolls … earned the MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award … drafted in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, with the 131st overall pick, by the St. Louis Cardinals.
2014: Appeared in 54 games, all starts, and played at second base, third base, shortstop and catcher … slashed .349/.430/.596 with 76 hits, 21 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 44 runs scored, 48 RBIs and 130 total bases, leading the team in all categories … also drew 22 walks … led the Missouri Valley Conference in doubles … ranked second in the MVC in hits and total bases, fourth in RBIs and fifth in home runs … was Illinois State’s lone All-MVC First-Team selection … was a unanimous MVC Scholar-Athlete First-Team selection … named the MVC Player of the Week (4/28) after hitting .435 over a five-game stretch, which included a 4-for-5 performance with two doubles, a walk and two RBIs against Missouri State (4/19) … tallied 22 multi-hit games and 15 multi-RBI games … went 3-for-4 with a home run, double, two RBIs and two runs scored in a MVC Tournament game against Southern Illinois (5/21) … started the season with an 18-game hitting streak … also posted separate hitting streaks of eight and 11 games … drafted in the 38th round of the MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates … named to MVC and AFNI honor rolls … earned the MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award.
2013: Appeared in 39 games, with 32 starts … batted .260/.420/.320 with six doubles, 21 runs scored and 17 RBIs … drew 26 walks, while striking out only 23 times … split time between catcher and middle infield positions … named the Illinois State Doug Collins Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year ... earned the MVC Elite 18 Award at the MVC Tournament, honoring the student-athlete owning the highest individual GPA at the event ... made collegiate debut and tallied first-career hit at Belmont (3/3) ... recorded first-career RBI versus Missouri State (4/6) ... collected one hit and two RBIs in a non-conference win over Northern Illinois (4/9) ... went 2-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI against MacMurray (4/24) ... went 1-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and a career-best three RBIs as Illinois State clinched the MVC regular-season title outright for the first time in school history at Southern Illinois (5/18) ... tallied two hits and added four RBIs in the MVC Tournament at Duffy Bass Field (5/21 to 5/25) … named to MVC and AFNI honor rolls … earned the MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award.
2012: Redshirted … named to MVC and AFNI honor rolls … earned the MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award.
Antioch HS: Two-year starter ... hit .430 with four home runs, one triple and 30 RBIs as a senior ... all-area, All-Lake County First-Team and All-North Suburban Conference First-Team selection ... helped team to a 21-10 record, and was named team MVP ... batted .360 with 28 RBIs, three home runs, six doubles and one triple as a junior ... graduated cum laude, named the science department's “most outstanding student,” named the senior class’ “most outstanding boy,” and was a member of the National Honor Roll.
Personal: Born Aug. 2, 1993 in Orlando, Florida ... son of Keith and Andrea DeJong ... has one brother, Matthew, and one sister, Emma ... majored in biochemistry/pre-medicine.
