2019 (Junior Year): Started and played in all 62 games, spending time at third base and in right field ... slashed .346/.408/.559 in the cleanup, leading the team in hits (88), doubles (16) and triples (4) ... his .346 batting average was the best in the Valley at the end of the season ... he hit 10 home runs and had a team-high 49 RBIs ... led the team in multiple hit games (28) and had three or more hits in a game seven times ... shared the title for most stolen bases (14) during the 2019 campaign ... scored at least one run in each of the four NCAA Tournament games ... MVC Joe Carter Player of the Year ... All-MVC First Team ... ABCA Rawlings All-District Second Team ... All-MVC Scholar-Athlete Team ... Milt Weisbecker Male Athlete of the Year.
2018 (Sophomore Year): Started 48 games at third base … batted .268/.304/.387 with nine doubles, one triple, and four home runs with 33 RBIs and 33 runs scored … posted a .936 fielding percentage … had 14 multiple hit games tied for third on the team along with eight multiple RBI games … compiled a nine game hitting and on-base streak in which he had two hits in four consecutive games (2/18 to 3/9) … drove in four runs or more on three separate occasions … Went 3-for-5 with a home run, four RBIs, and one run scored at Washington (3/11) … named to the Missouri Valley Conference honor roll.
2017 (Freshman Year): Appeared in 49 games, with 43 starts … spent time at first base, second base and third base, and was one of only two Redbirds to start five-plus games at three positions … batted .226/.297/.311 with 10 doubles and two triples … contributed 13 RBIs and 23 runs scored … ranked fourth on the team in doubles … posted a .982 fielding percentage, tops among Redbirds with 200-plus chances … compiled an 18-game on-base streak (3/19 to 4/16), the second longest such streak among Redbird players … tallied seven multi-hit games … drove in three runs on two separate occasions … made collegiate debut as a pinch hitter at Austin Peay (2/18) … made first collegiate start and tallied first collegiate hit at Memphis (2/25), going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two walks … had a career day at Dallas Baptist (3/31), going 4-for-4 with a double and a walk … named to the Missouri Valley Conference and AFNI honor rolls.
Champaign Central HS: Three-year starter for the baseball team … twice named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year … was a three-time unanimous All-Big 12 First-Team selection … twice earned Champaign News-Gazette All-Area honors, and named News-Gazette Player of the Year as a sophomore … set school records for single-season hits and triples, and school’s career triples mark … team won two conference titles and two regional championships during prep career … two-time team captain … three-time Big 12 Scholar-Athlete and IHSA Scholar-Athlete.
Personal: Born Jan. 1, 1998 in Carbondale, Illinois … son of Rick and Susie Aeilts … has one older sister, Audrey … sister attended Illinois State … father played professional football, for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers, after a collegiate career at Southeast Missouri … majoring in business administration.
