Blake DeLong '23 Recruiting Profile

My name is Blake DeLong and I just completed my Junior year at Decatur High School in Decatur, Texas. This has been my best year yet and I had many opportunities to excel on the Varsity baseball team. I believe the Decatur Eagles will continue to give me the opportunities to pursue my goals in the classroom, on the baseball field and become a valuable collegiate student athlete. I am 6'1” 170lbs athlete in a continuously growing and developing body. I am constantly in the weight room and doing baseball specific workouts to better prepare my body for the future.

I just completed my spring season with the Decatur Eagles where we made it to the second round of playoffs and second seed in the district. I was the #1 starter on the mound and started at either SS/3B all the other games. I was awarded District Pitcher of the Year and Wise County Newcomer of the Year 2022. On the mound, I ended my district season with the following stats on the mound; 4-0-2, 26.3IP, 13H, 3ER, 5BB, 46Ks, 0.398ERA and 0.118OBA. For the season I was 4-4-2, 54IP, 47H, 16ER, 17BB, 83Ks, 1.037ERA and 0.193OBA. I also had three games where I pitched 12, 13 and 18 strikeouts.

This summer I will be playing with the Cooperstown Cobras Baseball Club where we competed in several College Showcases in Texas and Oklahoma. I will be in the Pitching rotation and playing 3B. I have also been invited to attend the Texas Rangers Area Code Tryouts this summer for the third year in a row.

In May 2021, I completed my Sophomore year at Northwest High School, in Justin, Texas. I was a student in the STEM Academy (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) within the high school and carried a 3.68 GPA and was in the top 11% in the class. During my sophomore year of baseball, I played 1^st Base, 3^rd Base and Pitcher for Northwest High School. I played on the JV1 Team and had a successful year on the mound. I started four games as the pitcher. I pitched 17.2 innings, with 33 strikeouts, averaging 1.9 strikeouts per inning. I also spent time at 1B and 3B, but my playtime was limited due to a minor injury. I was also invited back to the Texas Rangers Area Code Tryouts - Underclassman at Baylor on June 16, 2021. I had a great tryout with positive feedback from the coaches.

In my short Freshman year with Northwest High School JV Baseball team (due to COVID 19 restrictions), I started as the pitcher in three games. I pitched 11 1/3 innings, allowing only 2 Hits, 1 ER, 2 BB and 26 Ks, averaging 2.4 strikeouts per inning. I threw 2 “One Hitters” and 1 “NO Hitter”. I also carried a .400 batting average and started 1B most of the games with a .956% fielding percentage. In July 2020, I was invited to attend the Texas Rangers Area Code Tryouts - Underclassman at Dallas Baptist University. I was one of 250 Texas underclassman to be invited to this tryout. It was a great experience.

I started competing in athletics at age 4, where I played soccer and baseball. I played competitive soccer for two years and played recreational baseball until I was 9 years old. This is when I decided to pursue my dream with baseball. In between baseball seasons, I have played football for the school and spend a lot of time in the weight room. I have aspired in advancing to the next level in baseball since elementary school. It has always been my goal to go to college and become a successful Collegiate Student Athlete like both of my parents.

I believe being a member of the baseball team and the STEM Academy is teaching me how to be mature and how to work through obstacles. It has also taught me leadership skills such as determination, confidence, communication, as well as time management, organization, and team collaboration. I have learned to be supportive and encouraging to my teammates, as well as how to use constructive criticism to better a teammate. I am a very coachable player, always willing to learn and I attend baseball lessons on a regular basis to improve my skills. I like challenges and think of them as a way for me to improve and advance as a player and teammate.

In the past, I have overcome negative criticism and hardships from my peers and mentors by working hard and refusing to never give up. I can say this has only made me a stronger and a more determined athlete, which has encouraged me to achieve my goals in the future as a Collegiate Student Athlete.

Before coming to the Cooperstown Cobras Baseball Club in 2017, I gained valuable playing experience and baseball skills playing for the Keller Knights Baseball Association (TX) for two years. During my time with the Keller Knights, I competed at the AAA and Majors level of little league baseball. I was also able to play in the World Series in Omaha, NE my last season with the Keller Knights and was the winning pitcher in the Championship Game.

Throughout my club baseball career at the Cooperstown Cobras, I have had to compete against other players on my team with great skills and successfully proven my skills as a starter at 3B, 1B and one of the top Starting Pitchers. I have been a very consistent hitter with a batting average of .300 plus each season. I have maintained the consistency to hit in the line-up between 3^rd and 6^th spot, holding one of the best “On Base Percentage and RBIs’” on the team. My “Fielding Percentage” is consistently 900% plus.

Academically, my goal is to maintain a 4.0 weighted GPA or higher and continue challenging myself with Pre-AP and AP classes through high school, which will better prepare me for college. I plan to pursue a major within Biology or Kinesiology, so I can be an Athletic Trainer/Physical Therapist/Chiropractor/Radiologist.

In my personal life, I have a passion for outdoors, snow skiing, water skiing, wakeboarding, hunting, fishing, climbing trees, and riding ATVs. I also grew up with a love for the outdoors and frequently go to my grandparent’s ranch in Oklahoma. When I am there, I spend most of my time hunting, fishing, riding ATVs around in mud and helping my grandparents with the ranch chores.

As I look forward to my senior year at Decatur High School, where I will continue to focus on my growth as a student athlete on the diamond and in the classroom. Academically, I will challenge myself and work hard to excel in the classroom environment. I am looking forward to attending a university that can recognize me for both my baseball and academic skills. I believe I will be fully prepared to meet the challenges of playing and learning at the next level.