LeRoy Baseball Standout E.J. Chaon Earns Athletes of the Week Honors After Explosive Offensive Performance

LeRoy, Ill. — The summer baseball season is still a few months away, but E.J. Chaon is already turning heads in central Illinois. The LeRoy Panthers infielder has been named Athletes of the Week powered by Copper Creek Contractors, cementing a week that saw him completely take over at the plate.

Chaon wasted no time making his presence felt. In a high-scoring 10-9 victory over Salt Fork, he contributed two hits to keep the Panthers within striking distance. But it was the following game that truly showcased his all-around ability — a dominant 18-3 win over Blue Ridge where Chaon piled up three hits and drove in two runs.

The quick rise to local fame caught even Chaon himself off guard. "I was very surprised with all the support and how quickly it got out," he said. "I found out midway through the school day, and I was very excited to see how fast the votes piled up once everyone found out about it."

The LeRoy community, known for its fierce hometown pride, rallied behind their young star. "We have a great community that loves to support everyone, and it is great to see everyone be so happy for any LeRoy athlete," Chaon said. "I was very shocked, especially with some of those bigger schools having a lot more people. We have that hometown pride, and it was a big support system from my community."

Coming into the season as a young player on a roster with several first-year starters, Chaon has faced the challenge of filling the void left by a talented senior class. "Coming in as a young guy, I feel like I have a lot of pressure to keep up with last year's group, knowing they had a lot of seniors," he explained. "Now, we have a lot of first-year starters, so we're just trying to fill the boots of a lot of everyone else who came before. It's definitely a pleasure to be competing with those guys and holding my own. It's been a blast with the group we have."

Beyond his raw talent, Chaon's success comes down to routine. Before every game, he makes a stop at Casey's for a quick sugar boost from the candy aisle, then cranks up his pregame playlist to get loose. "I put my headphones on and listen to music, get the bands going to get my arms loose, take a massage gun to my legs to make sure those are nice and loose, lace up my cleats and go play," he described.

One defensive moment from last year still stands out as a career highlight — a JV game against Lexington. "It was 9-8, and I was in center field. The pop fly goes up, and the tying run was on third base. I caught the pop fly and threw him out at home," he recalled.

Chaon's goals for the season extend far beyond individual accolades. "I want to see us have a really deep playoff run and see how far we can make it," he said. "I feel like these guys are a great group, and we can definitely do it. As long as we don't get too emotional and just play how we always have, we'll play to the best of our ability."