Friday Features: Ben Holland ‘en fuego’ for Lee Flames
By Maurice Patton
Ben Holland is closing out his college baseball career – a career that could easily not have happened – in fine style.
The
Lee University senior first baseman currently leads all of NCAA Division II in home runs, leads the Gulf South Conference in homers, RBIs and slugging percentage, ranks among the league leaders in six other categories and could become the GSC’s first triple-crown winner (batting average, homers, RBIs) in 18 years.
Not bad for a guy who didn’t sign immediately out of Siegel (Tenn.) High School and walked on at Motlow State (Tenn.) Community College, where he spent two years before transferring to Lee for the 2015 season.
“He’s having a really good year,” Lee coach
Mark Brew said of the right-handed hitter, who has stroked 11 homers this spring – one short of last season’s total. “He’s a ‘professional hitter’, and I say that because he has professional skills and he’s professional in how he approaches hitting. He works extremely hard at his craft and works hard at being able to hit all pitches. Fastballs, off-speed, all pitches."
“He had a good year last year, and he’s having a great year this year. He’s so good at making adjustments at the plate. That’s probably his No. 1 strength, in addition to his ability to hit.”
Along with his 12 home runs as a junior, Holland batted .335 and drove in 49 runs for the Flames. Oddly enough, his offense was the last part of his game to come, which was why his college career almost didn’t take place.
“I wasn’t very good in high school,” Holland admitted. “I was always pretty good defensively. Offensively, I couldn’t figure it out. I went to (the University of Tennessee) for a year right out of school and focused on school. My goal was to go Division I, and I didn’t get that opportunity, but I was good at school, so I just did that."
“I had some buddies that played DI, and they encouraged me to go to junior college and give it my best shot. I worked my butt off second semester, went to a tryout and walked on at Motlow, and the rest is history. But I had hung (my cleats) up.”
Coming off his junior season, Holland’s work ethic continued into the offseason. Standing 6-foot-3, he dropped 25 pounds to get to 225 while working out and picking the brains of a couple of friends from Murfreesboro, Tenn., that are now in pro ball –
Austin Coley, a pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, and
Ryan Stephens, an outfielder in the Colorado Rockies system.
“I talk to (Coley) about what he tries to do to hitters, and (Stephens) about what he works on,” Holland said. “And I worked on my approach when I go to the plate. I try to focus on seeing the ball before I do anything, cut out all the overthinking, try to keep things simple."
“When I go to the plate, rarely am I going up there with the thought process that I have to do a certain thing. I know if I get out of my own head and get out of my own way and let myself play the way I’m capable, there’s no reason I should get beat by any pitcher. If I can avoid beating myself, I’ve got a really good chance to help my team.”
That approach, and those results (.450, 11 home runs, 31 RBIs as of Wednesday), are putting Holland in position to extend his career even further, according to his coach.
“There’s been a lot of interest in him now,” Brew said. “Leading Division II in home runs certainly garners a little attention. We’ve had some people come in to see him. He’s made a commitment to give himself that opportunity. He’s on that trajectory."
“I don’t think he has to do any more than he’s already doing – stay disciplined. To him, taking a walk is as good as hitting a home run. He’s very unselfish as a hitter, willing to take what’s given to him, and I think that resonates at the next level. He hits balls hard to all parts of the field and he’s got power to all parts of the field. I think that’s something pro guys look at.”
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11/27/2015 - National Tourney Awaits MC After Month-Long Hiatus.
12/04/2015 - Harlon Hill Finalist Wingo Leaves UNA with Pocket Full of Records.
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