Chris was born in Portsmouth, Virgina and moved to Janesville when he was young. He attended Janesville Parker High School and was a talented two-year letterwinner in baseball. In a steller high school senior season, the lefthander recorded the second most wins in school history and became the school’s all-time career strikeout leader. Chris was named team MVP and earned first team all-state honors as he posted six shutouts and pitched a perfect game. With a tremendous high school career behind him, he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins.
With high expectations, he enrolled at MATC to play baseball in the fall of 1993. In his first season at MATC, he not only met those expectations, he exceeded them. The lefthander had a school record eleven wins as he recorded 85 strikeouts in 74 innings pitched. Chris crafted an impressive 1.34 ERA to go with his undefeated 11-0 record. In the field, he made an impact as well, hitting .328 and leading the team in hits and runs scored. Chris was named all-conference, all-state and all-region for his outstanding play. His efforts led MATC Baseball to their first ever NJCAA Region XIII title and their first trip to the NJCAA Division III World Series. The team placed third in the nation and Kilen was voted team MVP.
In his sophomore season, the pre-season all-American started strong but arm problems cut short his season. He finished with a 2-0 record and a 1.38 ERA. The team went on to win a record 41 games and claimed the schools first ever national championship. Chris received the Doug Redsten Memorial Award that season for his outstanding leadership.
“If I had to choose one player who was the catalyst for MATC Baseball’s rise to national prominence, Chris Kilen would be that player,” commented former head baseball coach, Leo Kalinowski. “His mentality and attitude guided the program to the next level.”
Chris finished his career as the winningest pitcher in school history with a flawless 13-0 record, a staggering 1.35 ERA and an incredible 102 total strikeouts. His achievements still rank him among the top five in five season and career statistical categories.
In December of 1995, Chris graduated from MATC with an associate’s degree. He signed with NCAA Division I Northeast Louisiana State becoming the first MATC student-athlete in any sport to sign with a Division I University. At Northeast Louisiana State, he played alongside current Milwaukee Brewers ace, Ben Sheets. As a first year pitcher, Chris started the season with a 4-0 record until he suffered a career ending elbow injury. With baseball behind him, he earned his bachelors degree in Health & Human Performance in the spring of 1998.
In the fall of 2005, Chris took over as the Athletic Director at Waukesha County Technical College. He currently lives in Milton with his wife Kristina and their son Gavin.
