DaShawn Robert Keirsey Jr. (pronounced KEER-see)...Instagram: @dk.breeezy...Grew up in San Diego, Calif. and attended Helix Charter High School in La Mesa, Calif...At Helix, named First-team all-Grossmont Hills League as a senior...Named first-team all-East County...Hit .333 with seven doubles, three triples, 19 RBI and nine stolen bases as a senior...Also had a 3.16 ERA on the mound over 48.2 innings pitched going 5-2 with 51 strikeouts...Played in the 2014 Area Code games...Also earned first-team all-league and first-team all-county honors as a wide receiver in football...Named the 2014 East County Offensive Most Improved player as a senior...Played collegiately at the University of Utah from 2016-18, where he had a .334 career batting average, 42 doubles and 11 triples...Named to 2018 ABCA/Rawlings West All-Region second team...Three-time first-team All-Pac-12 (2016-18)...Three-time Pac-12 All-Defensive Team, becoming Utah’s first selection to the team since the Utes joined the league in 2016...2016 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American...Majored in financial planning.
2023
Was in Twins Minor League Spring Training but played several exhibition games for Minnesota, coming from the Minor League side...Began season with Double-A Wichita...Stolen season-high two bases seven times during season...Stole 14-straight bases successfully from May 30-July 23...Hit safely in Minor League career-high tying 13-straight games from June 8-22, hitting .377 (20-for-53) with a 1.131 OPS during that span...Hit .326 (30-for-92) in 23 May games and .356 (31-for-87) in 23 June games...Went 5-for-6 on July 26 vs. Frisco, tying Wichita’s franchise record for hits in a game...Promoted to Triple-A St. Paul on Aug. 3...At time of promotion, was tied for second in the Texas League in triples (five), third in hits (110) and total bases (176), sixth in average (.305) and stolen bases (31), and tied for ninth in extra-base hits (35)...Left Wichita as the club’s all-time stolen base leader with 73 from 2022-23...Named Twins Minor League Player of the Week on Aug. 27, hitting .412 (7-for-17) with one double, one triple, one home run, five RBI, four walks and a 1.289 OPS for the Saints...Combined to hit .294 (144-for-490) with 18 doubles, eight triples, 15 home runs, 61 RBI, 79 runs scored, 50 walks, 39 stolen bases (44 chances), a .366 on-base percentage and an .821 OPS in 130 games between Wichita and St. Paul...Hit .304 (123-for-405) with an .860 OPS vs. right-handed pitching, compared to .247 (21-for-85) with a .638 OPS vs. left-handed pitching...Named finalist for MiLB Defensive Play of the Year after robbing a home run in center field on April 20 at Tulsa...One of three finalists, joining Arizona’s Druw Jones (winner) and Milwaukee’s Monte Harrison...Ranked third in entire Twins organization in stolen bases (39), trailing Yoyner Fajardo (50) and Andrew Stevenson (44)...Also tied for second in triples (eight) with Fajardo, trailing Emmanuel Rodriguez (nine)...Ranked third in total bases (223)...Named by Baseball America as being the best defensive outfielder in the Twins system and fastest baserunner...Also ranked as 22nd best prospect in Twins organization by Baseball America entering 2024.