At three years old, many of us were falling on our faces at Super Soccer Stars. At the same time, Justice De Jong was going to Yankees Games with his grandpa and playing t-ball in the park, getting a true early start on the career he has created through years of dedication, consistency, and pure grit. Today, he’s a senior pitcher committed to Duke and is the number one player in the state of New York for Class of 25. I sat down with him to find out what this process has been like and what he thinks has gotten him to where he is today.
De Jong grew up in a family of basketball players, and played both sports until coming to Poly when he decided to solely focus on baseball.
Since his freshman year, De Jong has been a central part of Poly’s team, but his path to Poly actually began during seventh grade when he met with the head coach of baseball, Matt Roventini, for a tour of campus. Soon, he was attending practices and meeting the team he would dedicate the next four years to.
His recruiting process began in eighth grade when he visited college camps, but it became clear that Duke was the place for him. “I loved the coaches, the training program, and I also think education is a pretty big piece of it…It was a good fit for me, so I verbally committed my freshman fall.”
With college solidified, De Jong continued to take major leaps in his training during his sophomore year. “It was a wake-up call…I looked at my ability compared to people on the national level, and that motivated me to keep pushing myself. I knew where I stood and how I could improve.” His commitment involved lifting daily, meeting with nutritionists, warming up, and recovery, but being able to maintain that consistency is rooted in mentality. “I stick to that routine because I know that there’s a bigger picture, and definitely the days add up.”
Additionally, his academic performance has been another major focus, even while some might assume that stress would vanish after being committed. De Jong stated, “I’m on the phone with the head coach [at Duke] probably every two weeks, and I think it’s a big thing for him, keeping my grades up…he wanted me to take two advanced classes every semester. So I’ve been doing that since my freshman year.” This semester, De Jong is taking both advanced statistics and ceramics.
His mindset has also been critical to his success. When asked about it, he brought up golf and the inherent respect present in the game, the written and unspoken rules everyone knows to abide by. Adopting this mindset, he added: “My competitiveness really leads the way. If I do something well, or if I strike someone out, I might get a little fired up, or maybe even scream on the mound. I think that’s pretty unique to me, and I enjoy playing that way.”
Outside of baseball, De Jong spends time with his brother, he DJs, hangs out with his dogs, Sunny and Nixie, and leads the Christian affinity group. He shared how important his other interests are, saying, “Probably 90% of the time baseball is on my mind, but I find ways to have fun and relax without it, because when you take your mind off of baseball, it definitely sharpens your attention and the way you play on the field.”
When asked who has been a key part of his success, De Jong turned to his family. “My mom and my dad have been the drivers to my success… they’ve supported me through everything.” He also spoke about his brother.“I think he also plays a pretty big role, he’s fourteen, and plays baseball as well, so it’s been really nice to see him develop and see his growth, and how I can be a role model for him.” Lastly, he was especially grateful for his coaches. “Coach Roventini has been a pretty big variable in my success. He got me into the school and has definitely made my career a hundred times better…he taught me how to compete and how to be part of a team.”
Finally, when asked what he would say to younger players just starting out in baseball, De Jong said, “Don’t compare yourself to others…you have to follow your own path, because you can’t control what others do, you just have to control the controllables.”
De Jong is in the midst of his senior season, playing the sport he said has “taught [him] to be the person [he] is,” alongside the teammates he made sure to mention and recognize. The mutual brotherhood and respect found amongst the team have been at the heart of his high school career. “I think that we spend the most time together. We eat lunch together and hang out outside of baseball together. We’re just a close-knit group.” He remarked how this camaraderie and friendship are solidified during spring training, evident in the team of bleached heads currently wandering campus.
