Neil DeCook enters his first season as a student coach for Western Illinois baseball in 2015. Before joining the coaching staff, DeCook was a two-year starter for the Leathernecks in the outfield after transferring from Kankakee Community College in 2012.
Senior (2014): Started 52 of the 53 games in the outfield during his senior campaign... led the team in hits with 62 and was second in stolen bases (18), RBIs (28) and batting average (.321)... two hits and one run on 2/21 vs. Southern Illinois... two hits, including a double and three RBIs on 3/1 at Evansville... three hits at Illinois State on 3/15... four hits, three RBIs and two runs in the doubleheader vs. North Dakota State on 3/30... from 4/9 to 4/15 had five multiple-hit games... eight hits, six RBIs, three doubles and four runs scored in the four-game set at Fort Wayne (4/12-4/13)... career-high four RBIs on 4/13... named Summit League 'Player of the Week' for his performances at IPFW... three hits in the win at Iowa on 4/15... also threw out a runner at home in the bottom of the ninth at Iowa to send the game to extra innings... three hits and five RBIs at NDSU... five hits and four runs vs. Fort Wayne... four hits, including two triples, three RBIs and three runs scored vs. St. Ambrose... two triples is tied for the most in a single game in program history...four hits, including a walk-off single, two RBIs and two runs vs. Illinois State on 5/3...five hits, two RBIs and three runs in the four-game set at South Dakota State... seven hits in the four-game series vs. Omaha... notched a hit in three of the four Summit League Championship games... ended the season with 16 multiple-hit games and eight multiple-RBI games... ends his playing career with 102 appearances and 99 starts... .312 career batting average with 107 hits in just two seasons... also 29 career stolen bases.
Junior (2013): Made 50 appearances with 47 starts in the outfield... scored first career run on 2/16 at Arkansas... first career hit and RBI came on 2/23 at Arkansas State... had one hit and run on 2/24 at ASU... one RBI vs. Wichita State on 3/1... two hits on 3/2 vs. Iowa... one hit and run scored on 3/12 at Saint Louis... one hit and run scored on 3/16 at Missouri State… drew two walks and scored twice at Illinois-Chicago on 3/31… five hits, three RBI and two runs scored in the series vs. Omaha… scored a run in six consecutive games from 4/21-4/28… two hits and career high three runs driven in on 5/11 vs. North Dakota State… went 9-for-15 during a four-game conference stretch from 5/11-5/14… eight hits in the four-game set at Oakland with three runs scored… two hits in the opening round win over South Dakota State in the 2013 Summit League Tournament… concluded the season with a .300 batting average, 45 hits and 21 runs scored… also hit .370 in conference play which is the fourth highest mark in the league.
Kankakee CC: All-Region in 2012... Academic All-American.... hit .413 in 2012, including 56 RBI, 35 stolen bases and a .504 OBP.
High School: Team captain... broke the school record for triples at Kankakee High School.
