Jeremy Accardo rejoined the Illinois State baseball team in 2015 as a student assistant coach after a successful collegiate career at Illinois State and 11 years in professional baseball.

Accardo starred at Illinois State for three seasons, from 2001 to 2003, as a shortstop and pitcher, earning All-Missouri Valley Conference honors his final two seasons. Accardo signed as a free agent with the San Francisco Giants in 2003, and made his Major League Baseball debut with the club in 2005.

Accardo later played for Toronto (2006-10), Baltimore (2011), Cleveland (2012) and Oakland (2012). He played most recently for the Long Island Ducks and Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League, in 2014.

A native of Mesa, Arizona, Accardo enjoyed his best season in 2007, in Toronto, as he went 4-4 with a 2.12 ERA and 30 saves as the Blue Jays’ primary closer.