March 6, 2009 | Lisle, IL For Matt Kleifges, Dillon O’Neill, and Bryan Roberts, playing a baseball game in Lisle is nothing new. What is new is that for these three it will not take place on the field at Benet Academy, but rather just across the street at Benedictine University. It was not long ago that O’Neill and Kleifges were helping Benet to a conference championship and Roberts was being named conference pitcher of the year. Now, these three will come back to Lisle to aid the DuPage Dragons in their quest for a league championship.
Kleifges, now a redshirt freshman infielder at Xavier University, was a two time all-conference performer while a Benet. His junior year he was captain on a
team which finished with a 30-8 overall record and won the East Suburban Catholic Conference Championship. His senior year he hit .400 and scored 50 runs with 21 stolen bases and 15 doubles. That same year he was named to the All-Area, All-City, All-Conference and an honorable mention All-State. So far Kleifges has appeared in only 2 games with no at-bats. But with a season just getting underway, he still has plenty of time to get at-bats.
Dillon O’Neill is a rare breed of college athlete. Many athletes play numerous sports while in high school but choose one or none upon entering college. O’Neill has chosen to focus on two at the collegiate level, baseball as well as soccer. While playing at Benet, O’Neill was both an All-Conference and All-Area performer, teaming with Kleifges to help Benet capture the 2006 conference championship. Last year Dillon saw limited playing time in the outfield due to his recovering from an injury. He finished the season hitting .304 and collected 24 hits and 11 RBI’s. Harvard has only just begun their 2009 season but O’Neill got off to a fast start, notching 2 hits and a stolen base.
Roberts made quite a name for himself while pitching for Benet. The 6 foot 3 inch right hander was named a member of the 2008 All-State team in class 3A/4A by the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA).
The Prep Baseball report ranked Roberts as the number 19 recruit in the state of Illinois. He culminated his senior campaign with a 1.41 ERA and 66 strikeouts in only 56 2/3 innings pitched. That same year he was named pitcher of the year in the East Suburban Catholic Conference. Now a freshman at the University of Illinois, Roberts is yet to see action for the Fighting Illini this year.
The Dragons home opener is slated for 7:05 pm on Tuesday, June 9th against the defending champion Springfield Sliders. Tickets are available by calling the Dragons’ ticket office at 630-241-2255 or by purchasing online at www.dupagedragons.com.
