Travis Downing Assistant Athletic Director of Student-Athlete Leadership and Development (Sport Administrator: Cross Country and Track & Field) | Central Michigan Chippewas Website
Travis Downing Assistant Athletic Director of Student-Athlete Leadership and Development (Sport Administrator: Cross Country and Track & Field) | Central Michigan Chippewas Website
Chad Pleiness, known for his dual-sport prowess as an NCAA Division I student-athlete, will be inducted into the CMU Marcy Weston Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 2024 class. The induction ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 20 at McGuirk Arena and will be followed by an introduction at the CMU-Ball State football game on Saturday, Sept. 21.
The 2024 class includes wrestling coach Tom Borrelli, football player Eric Fisher, gymnast Sarah Dame, track & field/cross country runner Ryan Watson, and volleyball player Kaitlyn (Schultz) Miller.
Pleiness was a standout in both baseball and men's basketball at CMU, spending four seasons on the diamond and three on the court. Initially recruited for football out of Mason County Central High School in the late 1990s, he played as a tight end before shifting focus to baseball and basketball due to potential conflicts with spring football commitments.
"It wasn't about having an idea of what I could potentially do past college," Pleiness said. "I was just always trying to maximize what I could do at the time."
Standing at 6-foot-6, Pleiness made significant contributions to both sports. In basketball, he earned a spot on the Mid-American Conference men's basketball All-Freshman Team in 2000 and received All-MAC honorable mention in 2001 after helping lead the Chippewas to a league championship. He ranks second in program history with an 83 percent free throw accuracy.
In baseball, Pleiness led the nation in strikeouts per inning in 2002 and garnered First Team All-MAC and All-Mideast Region honors. He posted a career record of 16-9 with a 4.17 ERA and struck out 185 batters over 175 innings. Notable performances include a one-hit, 15-strikeout game against Northern Illinois in 2002.
Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth round of the MLB draft that same year, Pleiness compiled a minor league record of 19-14 with a 3.42 ERA over three seasons.
Holding a business administration degree from CMU, Pleiness currently works as a senior demand planner for W.K. Kellogg Co. in Battle Creek. He resides with his wife Annika and their three young sons while also volunteering as a coach.
Reflecting on his career decisions, Pleiness remarked: "If I could take it back, I probably would have stuck with (baseball) another year or two... I'm very happy with where I'm at."
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