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Player Spotlight: SS Benjamin Sems (Westminster, 2016)

June 12, 2015

Shon Plack
Prep Baseball Report-Missouri

Benjamin Sems, (Westminster, 2016) is a left-handed hitting shortstop at 6-foo-1, 150-pounds.  Sems was a member of the 2014 Class 4 State Championship team and plays summer baseball with the Louisville Slugger Warriors.  Sems was named First Team All-Metro with a .357 batting average, 22 RBIs, 14 SB, 32 runs scored while hitting lead off last spring.  On the mound, Sems was Westminster's closer with a 0.30 ERA in 21 innings of work with 21 strikeouts and six walks. 

Here is an inside look into the recruitment of Benjamin Sems.

PBR: What schools have expressed interest in you?

Sems: Ball State, Indiana, Ohio State, Iowa, Lipscomb have all shown interest.

PBR: Have you taken any visits, or have any visits scheduled in the near future? If so, what schools, and how recently?

Sems: Ball State, Indiana, Ohio State, Iowa, Lipscomb in the past 6 months.

PBR: Are you looking for anything in particular in a school? (Example: high academics, certain academic program, local, etc.)

Sems: I’m looking for a school with a top notch Industrial Design and Entrepreneurship program.  I want to play for a team that has the goal of getting to Omaha and that will give me a chance to compete for the shortstop position.

PBR: How did you do your junior year? What were your high school statistics? And how did your team do? Name some players that played a key role at Westminster.

Sems: We were 26-6 and didn’t win a state championship this year, so it was kind of a disappointing year. We won the Metro League.   On a personal level, I was named  First Team All-Metro with a .357 batting average, 22 RBIs, 14 SB, 32 runs scored while hitting lead off.  I lead the team in saves as our closer with an ERA of .3 in 23 innings pitched, 21 Ks and 6 BB.  Luke Matheny obviously was our ace pitcher and he pushed me to be a better player and helped me learn how to prepare for each game.  Michael Failoni and Joe Curtis provided strong senior leadership and Jake Matheny did a great job behind the plate and batting third.  Nick Glanvill, Zach Schultz and DJ Stewart really emerged as key contributors, while Jack Linton and Logan McCall stepped in to fill the void left from the graduation of 10 senior from 2014.

PBR: What are you goals for your senior season?

Sems: I want to win another state championship and with that be All-State.  I want to be the type of leader and mentor that Shane Benes (2014) and Travis Ralls (2014) were to me when I was a sophomore on the team last year.   My goal is to put on 20lbs of muscle before next year--to really grow into my body.   I want to get back my speed as I adjust to being 6-2 and hit with more power. I want to never give an at bat away and hit a lot of line drives.  I want to play an errorless season at Shortstop.

PBR: What travel team do you play for? Are you playing fall ball with a team?

Sems: The Louisville Slugger Warriors

PBR: Do you play any other sports?

Sems: I played soccer until my sophomore year but stopped to concentrate on baseball

PBR: What are your ACT and GPA?

Sems: 29 ACT and 4.00 GPA at Westminster Christian Academy

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