After appearing in three games, Adenhart spent the rest of 2008 in the minor leagues developing his skills, and in 2009 he earned a spot in the Angels' starting rotation.

There were many tributes to him throughout the season, including his former teammates celebrating him by spraying champagne and beer on one of his jerseys after they clinched the 2009 American League West division championship.

[1] His parents divorced and Janet later remarried Duane Gigeous, with whom she had a son named Henry, who was a pitcher at the University of Oregon.

[2][3] Adenhart played Halfway Little League Baseball for Gehr Construction and attended Springfield Middle School in Williamsport, Maryland.

While attending Saint Maria Goretti, Adenhart was a guard on the basketball team that won the Baltimore Catholic League championship.

[6] At the age of 14, Adenhart joined the Oriolelanders, a showcase team composed of Maryland amateur players and sponsored by the Baltimore Orioles, where he would stay for four years.

[7][8] In 2003, at the age of 16, Adenhart pitched for the Youse's Maryland Orioles, who went on to win the All American Amateur Baseball Association Tournament for that year.

[9] Adenhart transferred to Williamsport High School after his sophomore year, where he gave up basketball to focus solely on baseball, as a pitcher.

[6][11] Entering the final regular season game of his high school career, he had a 5–1 record, a 0.73 ERA and an average of 2.2 strikeouts per inning.

[12] In his final high school game, in front of two dozen scouts, Adenhart felt a pop in his elbow after throwing a curveball to the third batter.

The injury, which abruptly ended his season, was a partial ligament tear in his elbow that required Tommy John surgery.

[11] After having Dr. James Andrews perform the Tommy John surgery, Adenhart spent the next year rehabilitating his elbow at the Angels' rehab facility in Tempe, Arizona.

[15] The following spring, at the age of 19, Adenhart was one of twelve pitchers who earned a non-roster invitation to the Angels' big league camp.

[15] His performance earned him a starting assignment in the 2006 All-Star Futures Game on June 21 and a promotion to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the organization's High-A affiliate, soon after.

[15] Adenhart was a member of the United States Olympic Qualifying team in 2006, along with fellow Angels prospect Brandon Wood.

As a result, he was brought up to the Angels' major league roster, and was scheduled to make his debut on May 1, pitching on three days' rest.

Adenhart made his Major League debut as the starting pitcher against the Oakland Athletics at home in Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

[1] In his season debut on April 8, 2009, he earned a no-decision, giving up seven hits and no runs while striking out five batters and walking three in six innings against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

[32] Shortly after midnight on April 9, 2009, Adenhart was involved in a car crash in Fullerton, California, at the intersections of Orangethorpe Avenue and Lemon Street, just hours after being the starting pitcher in the previous night's game.

[4][33][34] The driver of the Eclipse, Cal State Fullerton cheerleader Courtney Stewart, as well as another passenger, Henry Pearson, were pronounced dead at the scene.

[33] Wilhite suffered internal decapitation and survived after undergoing five hours of surgery to reattach his skull to his spine six days after the crash.

[47] On September 28, 2009, when the Angels celebrated winning the American League West division, they honored Adenhart by spraying champagne and beer on one of his jerseys, and then gathered in front of the outfield wall memorial for a team picture.

[52] The team commissioned Harry Weber to create a bronze statue of Adenhart, which will be on display in the Angel Stadium trophy case.

The goal is to lend a helping hand to struggling leagues around the country to buy equipment and cover expenses to keep youth baseball functioning.

[55][56] Adenhart's number 21 jersey was retired by the Cedar Rapids Kernels, the Angels' Class A affiliate, on June 20, 2010.

[61] The city of Manhattan Beach, Wilhite's home town, erected the Pearson-Wilhite-Stewart-Adenhart Commemorative Wall at Marine Avenue Park honoring all four victims of the crash.

[69] Adenhart is buried at Greenlawn Cemetery, in Williamsport, Maryland, just across the street from Springfield Middle School, where he attended and played baseball as a child.