Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame
Van Cleef was a two-time All-American in baseball, garnering first team accolades from the American Association of College Baseball Coaches in 1950 and 1951. In the process, he became the first Eastern player to repeat as an All-American. A veteran of two NCAA Tournaments, he was the starting centerfielder on the 1950 Rutgers team, which advanced to the College World Series. He batted .458 (11-24) in the series en route to MVP honors, while leading the Knights to a co-runner-up finish. Van Cleef batted .404 that season, his junior year, and followed it up with a .378 mark in 1951. He currently ranks fourth in career batting average at Rutgers. He set the Rutgers single season record for triples with seven in 1950 and stands third in career with 13. Van Cleef is also fifth in career slugging percentage with a .606 mark. The Knights were 50-21-2 his three varsity years. He also won three letters in basketball and one in soccer.
