University of San Francisco Athletics

Major: Business Administration
Hometown: Saratoga, CA    
Career Highlights: Three-time letter winner for Baseball; 2011 WCC All-Freshman Team; 2011 WCC Champion

Biography: Balog played baseball for your years under coach Nino Giarratano. He came to USF from Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose where he was named a second team All-American by MaxPreps.com. He earned Player of the Year honors from the San Jose Mercury News and Cal Hi Sports, and was a first-team All-State selection by Cal Hi Sports and MaxPreps.com. Balog hit .407 with 30 RBI his senior year, with a 1.01 ERA, 8-2 record and 48 strikeouts to lead the Monarchs to a Central Coast Section Division I title.

In his first year on the Hilltop he made 16 appearances with three starts, also entered three games at first base. He began his collegiate career by throwing a no-hit inning to get his first collegiate win against UC Davis. In 2012, he emerged as a starting pitcher going 4-4 with a 3.43 ERA, and followed that up with another solid season in 2013, finishing at 3-3 with a 3.63 ERA. He was drafted in the second round of the 2013 Major League Baseball June amateur draft by the Colorado Rockies and played in the Pacific Coast League at the AAA level in 2017. 

Why Balog Chose USF: "I chose USF because I liked the coaching staff, the program and the city, and my older brother Nik played baseball for the Dons as well."

Favorite USF Memories: "I enjoyed the 'real-life' atmosphere of attending college in a great city like San Francisco."

The USF Student-Athlete Experience: "The best thing about being a student-athlete is learning time management skills to balance academics and athletics and learning about what you are capable of doing."

Life After USF: Balog left USF following the 2013 season to pursue a career as a professional baseball player. He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies and spent five years in the minor leagues, advancing to the AAA level with Albuquerque in the Pacific Coast League in 2017.