Griffin Benedict Bio
2/16/2009 5:10:00 AM | General
Named Third Team Preseason All-America by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association... JUNIOR (2008): Second Team All-Southern Conference... accounted for two of the team's NCAA record 14 home runs during game two of the Columbia series... one of 19 in program history to record 60 runs scored/RBI in a season (60/65)... ranked 61st nationally in RBI per game (1.14)... picked off a team-leading six runners... also matched career-high of two home runs in game three of the Boston College series and drove in a then personal-best five RBI... 7-for-12 in the Towson series, scoring two runs in each game and drove in four in the opener... matched career-high of two stolen bases in Towson finale... scored four runs in the two-game USC Upstate series with three RBI and two walks (both in the finale)... went 7-for-16 in the record-setting Columbia series... scored five runs and drove in five during the four-game set... hit three home runs in all during the weekend... went 3-for-5 at Mercer, including two hits in the same inning... went 4-for-13 during the weekend sweep of Western Carolina, recording four RBI, five runs scored, one home run and two hit by pitches... matched then career-high of five RBI in the series opener at College of Charleston, keyed by a 3-run double... had 28 putouts in the series... three hits with eight putouts and two assists at home versus Kennesaw State... went 5-for-11 at Elon with five RBI, including a double and third-ever collegiate triple... matched career-high of four hits in 12-6 win versus Jacksonville where he recorded two doubles, two runs scored and five RBI... batted 3-for-10 with three runs (all in opener) and four RBI against Appalachian State... two hits in the series at Davidson with three runs scored and three RBI... again matched career-high of four hits, this time going 4-for-4 in 17-4 victory against North Florida... had two hits in each game of the Wofford series... torched the Terriers for seven runs scored and eight RBI, including a career-high six in game two... hit three doubles, one home run (first collegiate grand slam) and walked four times... two runs scored and a RBI in 17-7 win over Jacksonville... went 6-for-14 against The Citadel with four runs scored... two hits and two runs scored in series sweep of UNC Greensboro... four hits at Furman (4-for-12) with three runs scored and two RBI... went 5-for-14 during the SoCon Tournament... career-high four runs scored in the opener against UNCG in addition to his three hits and RBI... two hits in the season-finale against the Spartans... batted .370 with runners in scoring position, .680 with a runner on third and less than two outs... consistent when facing either a left-handed (.356), or right-handed (.354) pitcher... batted an impressive 22-for-55 (.400) from the seventh inning on... batted .333 in March, team-leading .433 in April (22 runs, 30 RBI) and .300 in May... SOPHOMORE (2007): Started 50 times in 55 games played... saw action at catcher and designated hitter... 12 hit by pitches... picked off two runners and threw out 15-of-54 trying to steal... 5-of-7 in stolen bases... .395 on-base percentage... walked 25 times... tied a GS single-game record hitting three doubles in a game (New Jersey Tech opener)... matched his career-high with four hits in games against NJIT and Charleston... walked twice in the Hawai'i series and threw out a runner trying to steal... finished 3-for-6 in two game stretch on the road against Jacksonville and North Florida... drew a bases loaded walk which was the go-ahead run in the ninth inning at UNF... finished the NJIT series 6-for-7 with five runs scored, three RBI and 10 putouts... threw out all three runners trying to steal in the Eagle Invitational... led the team batting 5-for-11 in the Coastal Carolina Tournament, including a key 2-run double against Ball State and a 2-run single versus Bethune-Cookman... team-leading five walks and scored four runs in the Lipscomb series... hit a home run and finished with two RBI against the Bison... knocked a 2-run triple and was hit by two pitches at UNC Greensboro... 4-for-13 against Elon then followed that with a 3-for-3 performance the next game against North Florida with 10 putouts... finished the Charleston series 6-for-13, scoring three runs with three RBI... hit a solo home run in the Davidson finale... paced the offense batting .455 at Western Carolina (5-for-11) to close out the regular season... scored four runs against the Catamounts... tied a Georgia Southern and Southern Conference Tournament record drawing four walks in a game (UNC Greensboro)... hit a walk-off single to eliminate WCU in the second round... overall batted .364 against left-handed pitching... successful 9-of-11 times with a runner at third base and less than two outs... 12 of his 30 RBI came with two outs... struck out looking only six times in 182 at-bats... FRESHMAN (2006): Stepped into a starting role following an injury to catcher Jeremiah Parker... went on to start 49 times in 55 games... spent time as catcher and designated hitter... .303 batting average with nine doubles and five home runs... 32 runs scored and 35 RBI... 8-of-9 stolen bases... .989 fielding percentage... season-high four hits at Davidson... season-high three runs scored at Wofford... stellar series against Saint Joseph's, finishing 7-for-11 with eight RBI and three runs scored... season-high three RBI three times, two coming against SJU... three RBI against Appalachian State, hitting a home run... went 7-for-10 during final two games of the Davidson series... 7-game hitting streak in his final seven starts... hit HR in consecutive games of App State series... stole two bases against App State and Wofford... 6-for-6 in steals during month of May... drove in 13 runs and scored 12 while playing in 26 Southern Conference games... hit .354 against right-handed pitching... reached as leadoff 43 percent of the time... was 15-of-21 with runner on third and less than two outs... HIGH SCHOOL: Lettered in football and baseball at St. Pius X... played for coach J.T. Gilbert... hit .440 with a .675 slugging percentage during his junior year... in 98 at-bats he drilled 16 doubles and six home runs while driving in 39 runs... played for the national champion Team Georgia in 2004, he was also chosen All-Region 6-AAAA and All-Dekalb County... PERSONAL: Born July 4, 1987 in Atlanta... No. 1 sports highlight was signing with the Georgia Southern Eagles and being a part of this program... his father Bruce has been a major influence, "He knows what he is talking about."... his father played from 1978-89 as a catcher for the Atlanta Braves and was a two-time MLB All-Star, now currently is a basketball referee at the NCAA Division I level... most admires his high school football coach Paul Standard... enjoys fishing, history and college sports... favorite sports team is the New York Mets... favorite musician is George Strait... son of Bruce and Kathleen Benedict... MAJOR: Cultural and Resource Management
