Benjamin Looks To Advance Further In 3A-13

The Bucs are looking for more reasons to celebrate this season.

2014 marked a new era for the Benjamin baseball program. The Bucs left their small district with just Jupiter Christian and Kings Academy for a much larger district with schools much further away that they were not familiar with, like Florida Air Academy, John Carroll, Melbourne Central Catholic and St. Edward’s.

“This new district is full of competitive teams,” Manager Brian Kaplan said. “We have played John Carroll for five or six years now and we enjoy playing them. Melbourne Central, there’s no doubt why the won the state championship a few years back. They have that caliber of players year in and year out. There’s no clear-cut favorite and you have to come out and play a seven-inning baseball game against every single one of those teams.”

Benjamin finished year one in the new district with a 5-3 record in district play and made it to the regional quarterfinals, before being eliminated by Coral Springs Christian. Overall though, Kaplan considered 2014 a successful season.

“I thought we had a good year and played pretty well,” Kaplan said. “Obviously we would have liked to have a gone a little further than where we finished, but I was proud of the guys. All the seniors are now off playing college baseball and having a great experience. Looking back at our schedule we ended up playing five teams ranked in the top 25 in the country. Anytime you can be a small private school and play that caliber of a schedule and really challenge these guys and make them compete, I can’t ask for anything more.”

Kaplan now turns to 2015 and the goal of a district title. He will have to do that without three key pieces off of last years squad. Bennett Sousa, Chad Swift, and Kyle Ruedisili all have left for college, but Kaplan knows that he has a good group of guys that have come back.

“I don’t think you ever really replace guys like that,” Kaplain said. “We are pretty excited with the young crew we have though. Every guy is going to be a utility guy. There’s not a pitcher only, or a shortstop only, or a center fielder only, every guy is going to be a huge part of this team.”

Coach Kaplan and his Benjamin squad are looking for a district title and more in 2015

The biggest key to that district title will be improving the offense.

“Offensively we need to be a little better in clutch situations,” Kaplan said. “I think we have struggled the last few years with situational hitting and getting that big hit. We focused a lot of that in practice early on.”

The upperclassman are going to be the key to the success of the team as they help get the younger guys ready to face the steep competition awaiting Benjamin this year. Matt Ellmyer returns as the new ace of the staff after serving as the number two behind Sousa last year. Catching for him will be fellow junior Logan Taplett, who hit .243 in 70 plate appearances in 2014. Senior Baylen Sparks comes back in center field as the most experienced player on the Benjamin roster.

“I think we are capable of going pretty far,” Sparks said. “A district championship would be nice but I want to see us make it past regionals. I think we are very capable of doing that.”

In total though it will be a collective effort all around, including underclassman playing big roles.

“Out of the 13 guys on the roster heading into the season, seven are going to be freshman or sophomores,” Kaplan said. “Half your team right there is true underclassman and we are going to expect a lot out of them. Physically there is no doubt they can play at the highest level, it’s just teaching them the game mentally.”

Kaplan thinks that they versatility that his team has shown early on should result in a successful season in the district.

“I like our chances,” Kaplan said. “This is one of the more well-rounded teams I’ve coached. We have had years where we were really dominant on the mound and years where we were really good at the plate, but this is a team that is very well rounded. It will be tough to find a weakness.”

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