COLLEGE STATION, TX - Admittedly, it was not the best of spring baseball seasons for Benjamin Holbert. Getting your appendix out in the middle of the high school campaign will do that to a player as the College State junior found out.

“It’s not been the greatest spring,” said Holbert, pointing to sitting out and then coming back and trying to find a rhythm after the injury as a problem. “But I think it will help me grow for my senior year. It was an eye opener for what I need to keep working on.”

No matter, it has not discouraged colleges from showing an interest in Holbert, who lists a number of Division I colleges in the state as schools he has communicated with and plan to see him play this summer as a member of Twelve Baseball.

“We’ll be playing in Georgia and Dallas,” said the 97th-ranked player in the state’s 2019 class. “I also plan to attend some college camps.”

Those that have seen the 6-1 185-pounder play see the possibilities Holbert could provide a program at the next level.

“They like that I have a good potential build,” noted Holbert, the 12th-rated unsigned Texas high school junior. “They also like the way I swing the bat. From watching the video from PBR, they can see my presence and that I’m disciplined at the plate.”

But that is also an area Holbert admits can be improved.

“When I’m down in the count, I’m not too disciplined,” Holbert explained. “I’m a go, go, go person, so I need to learn to sit back and wait on it more and see the ball better.”

There are traits that Holbert can provide that are beneficial to any program.

“I tell them straight up that I have a strong work ethic, I’m a disciplined person and I will do whatever is best for the team and help in any way I can,” Holbert noted.

Doing that at the college level would be a dream come true for Holbert.

“For quite awhile I’ve known that’s what I want to do,” Holbert said about playing college baseball. “It’s what I want as a person. I just like the tempo, the way you bond with friends, the competition you face everyday - it’s a test of your abilities.

“Sure, there is always something else you can fall back on, but if you’ve got the talent you can go far. This past summer made me realize I can do it.”

Encouragement from teammates is helpful as well.

“My friends Cole Marler and Austin Teel push me to be the best I can be,” Holbert said. “Their presence is there everyday and that keeps me getting after it.”

An outfielder and pitcher most of his playing days, the right-handed hitting Holbert looks at outfield as his ticket to the next level.

“I really focus on pitch to pitch and try to get the best read off the bat,” said the third-rated unsigned junior outfielder in the state. “Tracking balls is a rush for me and it’s fun diving for balls, but what I like most is helping out teammates.”

Like the challenge of playing in the outfield, Holbert has found the recruiting process to be demanding.

“It’s more on me than the colleges,” Holbert explained. “I’ve got to reach out to people to come follow me. You have to communicate with coaches and tell them where you’re going to be.”

Holbert, who carries a 3.0 GPA and plans to major in criminal justice in college, looks forward to what lies ahead this summer.

“I definitely want to gain a little more weight and get stronger,” Holbert said. “That will help me be the player I need to be.”

Finding the best fit and making a college decision is also part of the plan.

“I want to go to a college where I’m getting a chance to play,” Holbert said. “A college that’s on the rise, like Sam Houston, would be high on my list. They’ve got a good criminal law degree at the school and going to a school like that I could get more developed.”

 

 

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