Hall of Fame Inductee - Brandon DeJaynes

Imagine Brandon DeJaynes’ good fortune. After signing a free-agent contract with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2003, DeJaynes threw his first bullpen session to former major league catcher Joe Girardi. Yes, that’s the same Joe Girardi who led the New York Yankees to a World Series championship this fall.

That’s just one of the highlights of an amazing career.

The right-handed pitcher, who was a 1998 Quincy High School graduate, posted a 17-7 record with a 2.24 earned run average and 206 strikeouts in three seasons as a varsity starter.

As a junior, DeJaynes helped the Blue Devils win the Western Big Six Conference, throwing a nohitter against East Moline. He went 8-2 with a 1.74 ERA and 81 strikeouts. As a senior, he went 6-3 with a 1.62 ERA and 93 strikeouts. He also hit .441 that spring.

DeJaynes was named the 1998 Herald-Whig Player of the Year and honorable mention all-state as a senior. He was a two-time All- WB6 selection.

Selected in the 21st round of the MLB amateur draft by the Seattle Mariners in 1998, DeJaynes became the first QHS product drafted in 21 years. He declined to sign with Seattle and instead went on to pitch for Quincy University.

After successfully undergoing rotator cuff surgery, DeJaynes became the most dominant NCAA Division II pitcher in 2003 as he earned first-team all- American honors after going 10-1 with a 0.71 ERA and 126 strikeouts and 22 walks in 88 1/3 innings. He was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference and NCAA Division II Pitcher of the Year.

After two years pitching in the Cardinals organization, DeJaynes’ career ended in the spring of 2005. He is currently the pitching coach at Quincy University.

Acceptance Speech

“First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone who had a part in this great honor. My family, who have always been there for me and supported every decision I’ve made, Coach Lon Fulte and Coach Randy Mettemeyer for steering my in the right direction to the get the best possible opportunities for me out of my ability and hard work and all of my former teammates who had a part in pushing me to be the player I was. Also, I would like to thank the Hall of Fame Committee for their nomination. It truly means the world to me and is something that I will take great pride in.

“The history of Blue Devil athletics ranks second to none and to be included with some of the great athletes of Quincy’s past is something I will never forget. Throughout my career, both in college and professional baseball, I’ve had a lot of bumps in the road and definitely my fair share of injuries that would eventually end my playing days. That being said and even though I fell short of my lifelong dream of making it to the big leagues, I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it weren’t for the people in my life and the constant ups and downs that have helped me grow into the individual I am and as a collegiate coach. It has made it easy to see that God truly does have a plan for everyone.

“In closing, I would like to accept this nomination in honor of my late grandfather, Donald Williams. There isn’t a day growing up that I can remember looking behind the fence or up in the stands and not seeing him there, constantly supporting and cheering me on. He was always there for me, regardless of the situations I may have been in, and because of that, this award means that much more to me. Again, thank you to everyone for all your support and love through out my career. God bless.”

— Brandon DeJaynes