Estep, an infielder/pitcher from West Columbia, South Carolina, posted a .297 batting average with 15 RBI and 20 runs scored in 32 games as a senior at Brookland-Cayce High School. He also posted a 3-1 record on the mound with a 1.85 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 42 innings of work with just 10 walks as he helped the Bearcats to a state championship after the team finished as the state runner up his junior year. For his efforts, Estep was named to the Region 4 First Team and received both the Region 4 Sportsmanship Award and the Brookland-Cayce Bearcat Pride Award.

"Jeff is coming to us after an outstanding high school experience,” said MVNU head coach Keith Veale, who has posted a 641-310 record in 19 seasons at the helm of the Cougars. "Winning a state championship and playing in big games is a valuable piece of preparation for the college game. We see Jeff as having some valuable versatility and ability to play middle infield and perhaps compete on the mound before his career is finished here. We have followed his career from a distance and are excited to have him return to Ohio after starting his high school career at Gahanna Lincoln High School. We think he will be competitive for us early in his career.”

In addition to playing baseball at Brookland-Cayce, Estep was also a two-year starting point guard for the school’s basketball team that went 23-4 during his senior year and won a regional championship. He was named to the Region 4 First Team and selected as the Brookland-Cayce High School Male Athlete of the Year during his senior year.

"There are several reasons why I chose MVNU,” said Estep of his college choice. "I like the campus and the home-like Christian atmosphere. My dad (Eddie) graduated from MVNU, and I am looking forward to playing baseball with my brother, Josh (who will be a senior for the Cougars) next year.”

MVNU is an NAIA school that competes in the American Mideast Conference. The Cougars posted a 39-21 overall record in 2008 and captured the program’s sixth National Christian College Athletic Association national title. The team also advanced to the NAIA Region IX Tournament championship game for the ninth straight year. Over the years, MVNU has had 13 players drafted by Major League teams including Tim Belcher, who was the top pick overall in the 1983 draft. Seven other former players have signed free agent contracts to play professional baseball.