Heidelberg University Athletics

Part of the transformative recruiting classes early in the Matt Palm era, Jon Hatfield could flat-out hit. Often perched atop a potent lineup, Hatfield set the tone for the tenacious ‘Berg teams of the mid-2000s. 

Tied for the lead in games played his freshman year, Jon was a mainstay in the lineup from the moment he got to campus. During that season, the Crestline, Ohio, native batted .312 and drove in 23 runs. 

Jon made a mammoth leap as a sophomore in 2003. He hit .425 with 10 home runs and 46 RBI, serving as the catalyst for the program’s first-ever Ohio Athletic Conference regular-season title. In addition to the trophy-clinching 12-4 drubbing of Muskingum on the final day of the regular season, Jon recalled the Student Princes also had an opportunity to celebrate earlier in the season. Pummeling Mount Union in a doubleheader sweep in April, he and his teammates delighted in the 100th win in Palm’s illustrious tenure. To go along with the team success, Hatfield was named the OAC Player of the Year and a Second-Team American Baseball Coaches Association All-American.

Though they missed out on the regular season crown in Jon’s junior year in 2004, the team made history by winning the program’s first OAC Tournament title. Entering as the No. 3 seed, the Tricolor bested Otterbein, 8-3, in the opener, but then fell to host Marietta. Down by a run in the 12th inning of an elimination game with John Carroll, Jon singled and would score the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Jimmy Williams. The win put the Student Princes into the finals, needing to topple the hated Pioneers twice to claim the title. A four-run seventh inning propelled The Berg to a 4-2 win, forcing the if-necessary game. There, Heidelberg held on for a 4-3 victory, touching off a Student Prince dogpile at Pioneer Park, much to the dismay of the Marietta faithful. Hatfield hit .327, drawing 39 walks and driving in 34.  

During his final season, Hatfield became the third player in program history to be named a First-Team All-OAC selection. He hit .336 with 22 RBI.  

Even with all of the successful players who followed in his footsteps, Jon remains in the top 10 of a plethora of career records, including at-bats, runs scored, hits, doubles, home runs, and walks.

Today, Jon and his wife, Danielle, reside in Sunbury, Ohio, with sons Brody, Bowen and Hudson. He currently serves as a sales representative with the Cintas Corporation.

This profile appeared in the Hall of Fame Induction program.