Heidelberg University Athletics

For all of the individual accolades A.J. Schlea received over his four years as a member of the Heidelberg Baseball program, the Gibsonburg, Ohio, native prioritizes team success when looking back at his career. It remains clear, however, that Schlea’s individual success played an integral role in the rise to prominence for Head Coach Matt Palm and the Student Princes. 

Schlea was a three-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection, culminating in American Baseball Coaches Association All-America First Team honors after his record-setting senior season. 

As a freshman, Schlea started 20 games for Heidelberg -- a team that won the OAC Regular Season title for the first time in program history.

One year later, Schlea and the Student Princes entered the OAC Tournament at Marietta as the No. 3 seed. After falling to the hosts the day before, Heidelberg needed to beat the Pioneers twice to secure the tournament title. But there was no joy in Marietta that day, at least not for the hometown crowd. Heidelberg stunned the Pioneer faithful -- winning 4-2 and 4-3. That day, Schlea scored three runs, tripled, and tracked down the tournament-clinching fly ball that stranded the tying run on third. The Berg advanced to NCAA Regionals for the first time in program history. 

Having earned an All-OAC honorable mention as a sophomore, slashing .338/.409/.441 with 30 RBI, Schlea carried momentum into his junior season. In 2005, he hit .373 with seven homers and 35 RBI -- meriting OAC Second Team laurels.  

His best season came as a senior in 2006. Schlea set several single-season program records, including home runs (15), RBI (56), and slugging (.859). He was named OAC Player of the Year and became Heidelberg’s first ABCA First Team All-American. 

Despite the bevy of power hitters swinging hot bats that graced Peaceful Valley in the years following Schlea’s departure, he still ranks among the best to ever play for the Tricolor. On the all-time list, he remains third with 27 homers, fourth with a .635 slugging percentage, fifth with 12 triples and ninth with 136 RBI. He was a three-time Academic All-Region selection by the College Sports Information Directors of American. But most importantly for Schlea -- two rings … the first two in program history.

Today, Schlea still resides in Gibsonburg, where he lives with his wife, Michelle, step-children Riley and Keagan, and son, Walker. The family enjoys life on the family farm, camping, attending sporting events, hunting and the busyness life has to bring. For the past 15 years, he has worked for the Toledo Mud Hens, where he serves as facility manager for the AAA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.