Senior Season — 2015
After missing the first month of the season, Whetsel became the everyday starter in center field, making 24 starts at the post. He was the Big Red's best threat on the basepaths with a .818 stolen base percentage in 11 attempts. His 49 career stolen bags puts him at a tie for second on the all-time list of base stealers for the Big Red. In limited at-bats, he still finished third on the team in walks (14) and had an on-base percentage that was nearly 100 points better than his batting average. He scored three runs in a game on two occasions, first on March 31 at Richmond and then on April 11 against Penn.
Junior Season — 2014
Whetsel started all 39 of the team's games in center field and most frequently appeared at the leadoff spot for a second straight season. He was third on the team with a .264 batting average, leading the team with 27 runs scored, 11 doubles and 23 walks. He also ranked second with a .382 on base percentage and 15 stolen bases on 19 attempts. He also continued to be defensively sound, committing just one error in the field. Whetsel boasted the team's best hitting streak of the season, spanning 11 games from March 9 to April 1 and led the squad with four three-hit games. At season's end, he ranked fourth in the program history in stolen bases (40).
Sophomore Season — 2013
Whetsel burst onto the scene at the Big Red's top all-around offensive player in his first season as the starting center fielder, earning a spot on the All-Ivy League Second Team. He was the only member of the squad to start all 40 games, leading the team in average (.300), runs (27), doubles (11), total bases (56) and on base percentage (.402). He also led the squad with 19 stolen bases, which was the sixth-highest total for a single season in program history. Using his speed to cover the expanses of center field, Whetsel committed just one error in 75 chances for a fielding percentage of .987. ... He hit his first collegiate home run on March 16 at Appalachian State as part of a five-game hitting streak. He was named the Ivy League's Player of the Week shortly thereafter, becoming the first Big Red player to win the award since the team's previous center fielder — Brian Billigen '12 — did so on March 2, 2012. ... Whetsel had 12 multiple-hit games, which led the team. He reached base safely in 37 of the Big Red's 40 games, including the final 11. ... The Big Red was also 12-4 when Whetsel batted leadoff.
Freshman Season — 2012
Whetsel saw part-time duty, starting 23 games and appearing in 11 more off the bench — most often as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. ... He hit an RBI double in his collegiate debut on March 2 at Maryland-Eastern Shore. Whetsel drove in the winning run with a two-out single in the 11th inning of a 10-9 victory over Brown on April 7. ... He was a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts, joining teammate Tom D’Alessandro as the only players to have swiped a bag without being caught.
Prior to Cornell
Whetsel had a storied career at Lakota East H.S. in Ohio, setting program records in nine statistical categories while leading the team to a state title his senior season. He was named as one of the top 50 players in the state by ESPN's Rise Magazine and was the recipient of the National Scholar/Athlete Award by the U.S. Army. He earned first-team honors in his city, county and conference, also playing three seasons on the varsity football team.
Personal
JD David Whetsel is the son of David and Cindy Whetsel, and he has a younger brother. He is enrolled in the School of Hotel Administration.
