Ben Van Cleve

Class:
Senior*
Position:
IF
Ht./Wt.:
6-3 / 265
Experience:
1L
Hometown:
Indianola, Miss.
High School:
Indianola Academy
Prev. College:
Northwest Mississippi CC
Major:
Sport & Recreation Administration

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• 2020 SEC Academic Honor Roll

2022 (Senior*): Appeared in 35 games, starting in nine of them (all at DH)… Hit .302 with four RBI and 10 runs scored… Went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored in back-to-back games against Charleston Southern (2/19-20)… Went 1-for-1 with two runs scored against VCU (2/25)… Went 1-for-2 with two runs scored against Memphis (3/23)… Hit a pinch-hit double and scored a run in the ninth inning of the Coral Gables Regional title clinching game against Arizona

2021 (Senior*): Appeared in 44 games, making 28 starts at DH ... Hit .255 with 14 runs scored, six doubles, one triple and 15 RBI ... Went 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and two RBI in season opener vs. TCU (2/20) ... Went 1-for-3 with a run scored vs. UCF (2/26) ... Scored two runs, doubled vs. Memphis (3/2) ... Doubled and went 1-for-3 vs. Belmont (3/7) ... Went 3-for-4 vs. ULM (3/14) ... Drove in two runs, scored one and went 2-for-2 vs. Auburn (3/21) ... Tallied two RBI and a run scored vs. Alcorn State (4/6) ... Went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI vs. Arkansas (4/11) ... Went 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI at Mississippi State (4/17) ... Went 1-for-3 with a double at Mississippi State (4/18) ... Scored a run, went 1-for-2 vs. LSU (4/24) ... Set career-highs in hits and runs scored, going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI vs. Arkansas State (5/4) ... Notched first career triple, going 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored at Texas A&M (5/8) ... Doubled, scored a run and went 1-for-4 vs. Vanderbilt (5/16) ... Went 1-for-3 with an RBI vs. UT Martin (5/18).

2020 (Junior): Season cut short due to the spread of novel coronavirus COVID-19 … Appeared in 11 games, starting eight … Served primarily as Rebel DH … Worked to a .385 batting average, third-highest on the team … One of two Rebels with an OBP over .500 … Recorded first start in the first game of the season vs. No. 1 Louisville (2/14) and notched first career hit, a double … Hit two doubles in three at bats vs. Louisville (2/14-16) … Recorded first career multi-hit game vs. Princeton (3/6) … Was 4-for-7 in series vs. Princeton (3/8) … Hit third double of the season, scored a run at ULM (3/10).

Junior College: Attended Northwest Mississippi Community College for two years and played under head coach Mark Carson … Named Team Captain of the Rangers … Triple Crown winner last season (leading team in BA, HR, and RBI) … First-Team All-MACJC in 2019 … 2019 NJCAA Second Team All-American … As a sophomore, hit .375 with 13 doubles, 14 HR, 47 RBI, and a .719 slugging percentage … Outstanding student at Northwest, named to the President’s List Honor Roll, named Most Outstanding Business Student, and a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society.

High School: Five-year letterwinner at Indianola Academy in Indianola, Miss. under head coach Clete Putnam … Also played football and basketball for four years … Named Team MVP three different years (2013, 2015, 2017) … 2017 MAIS All-Star … Named a member of MAIS All-Conference Team all five years of high school career … MAIS All-State Team (2015-2017) … Named MVP and led East Coast Sox to WWBA 2016 National Championship ... Ranked the No. 1 first baseman in state of Mississippi, 2016-17 … Finished senior season with .518 batting average … Career batting average of .440.

Personal: Full name is Bennett Richards Van Cleve … Son of Seldon and Michelle Van Cleve … Has two brothers, Woods and Whit ... Born on July 22, 1999 … Sports Administration major … Grandfather, Gene Van Cleve inducted into M-Club after stellar career with the Ole Miss golf team … Cousin, Dan Van Cleve, played professional baseball with the Texas Rangers.