Prior to Illinois
Earned a letter in his only season playing baseball at Southwest Missouri State • Led the Bears in sacrifices in 2004 with 11 • Stole three bases in four attempts for SMS • Selected in the 38th round by the Minnesota Twins in the 2002 First Year Player draft • Hit .243 with six doubles and nine stolen bases in 56 games for the Rochester Honkers of the Northwoods League in 2003.
High School
Named to the All-Conference, All-Metro and All-State teams his senior season at Roseville High School in 2000 • Earned varsity letters in four sports - baseball, basketball, football and soccer • Named to the All-Conference soccer team as a junior and senior.
Personal
Born Sept. 11, 1982 in New York, New York • Parents are Ron and Carol Gardenhire • Majoring in community health • Father Ron played professionally with the New York Mets before coaching third base for and eventually managing the Minnesota Twins • Lists his biggest thrill in sports as watching the Twins win game seven of the 1991 World Series and going into the locker room with his dad afterward • Names Terry Mulholland of the Minnesota Twins as his favorite athlete because he has been in the big leagues for 18 years and he respects the game so much • After graduation he plans to plan baseball for as long as he can, then he hopes to coach and possibly teach • He enjoys snow skiing and playing hockey during the winter in Minnesota.
