The ball kept traveling as it left Shane Benes’ bat in his first plate appearance in nearly two years against Alabama April 17. It fell to the warning track after hitting the top of the wall in straightaway center field. He missed his first career home run in his first at-bat by an inch.
This past weekend against Ole Miss, the freshman infielder did launch his first career dinger. This one was more special than that first one would have been. Benes’ father, Andy Benes, a former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher and No. 1 overall draft pick, was in attendance at Taylor Stadium to see his son back on the field.
“That felt really good,” Benes said after talking with his dad following the game. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to trot around the bases.”
Benes said having his family, especially his father at the game, made the home run even more meaningful.
“It was pretty cool,” Benes said. “My whole family got to come up and I knew I had been struggling the last couple weeks between (Vanderbilt) and here, so it was nice to just hit a ball hard and get that kink out.”
Above all, Benes is just happy to be back on the diamond, regardless of his performance. The highly-sought after recruit from Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis has been on a long journey back since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a Westminster basketball game his junior season. After rehabbing and getting set for his freshman season at Mizzou, Benes re-injured that same knee during the team’s first scrimmage.
“I’m starting to see the ball better,” Benes said. “My timing’s better and I’m able to lay off pitches I shouldn’t be swinging at. I’m getting better at taking good pitches and hitting what I can hit hard.”
Tigers’ coach Tim Jamieson commended Benes for his resiliency, especially facing some of the top pitching in the nation in his return.
“For a kid to come in after what he’s been through and compete in the SEC is asking a lot,” Jamieson said. “The potential there is tremendous.”
Through his first nine games as a Tiger, Benes is batting .219 with one homerun and three extra-base hits. While the statistics may indicate a slow start, Benes knows that it doesn’t come easy playing in what is widely considered to be the best conference in college baseball.
“My second series against (Vanderbilt), some of the best pitching in the country, it was kind of tough after not seeing anything in almost two years,” Benes said.
Against the Commodores, Benes struggled, going 0-for-8 with five strikeouts in the series.
At this point, the name of the game is still resiliency for Benes, who will be integral to Mizzou’s postseason success this season. Jamieson knows that Benes has the talent and the patience at the plate. It just all has to come together.
“He’s got a tremendous amount of power,” Jamieson said. “Come out and watch him take (batting practice) sometime. He punishes the football players at about the 20-yard line.”
Benes and the Tigers will travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this weekend to take on No. 1 LSU (40-8, 16-7 SEC). If the Tigers can steal one win on the road, they will likely secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.