WNC Baseball: Bennett Named SWAC Player of the Year
Submitted by editor on Sun, 05/10/2015 - 6:18am
Sophomore outfielder Jake Bennett became the first Western Nevada College baseball player to win the Scenic West Athletic Conference Player of the Year honor outright when coaches selected their postseason honorees this week.
Bennett joined former Wildcat Brian Barnett, who shared the conference's top player award in 2008.
The statistics Bennett compiled in his final season with the Wildcats correspond to MVP numbers: .397 batting average, 44 runs scored, .36 RBI, 544 slugging average, 11 strikeouts in 204 at-bats and 17 stolen bases. The University of Oregon signee also stroked five triples, five doubles and five home runs.
In all, 11 Wildcats received SWAC first team, second team or honorable recognition.
"Jake earned the respect of opposing teams and coaches by the way he played," WNC coach D.J. Whittemore said. "He doesn't tell you about it; he just does it.
"He did it in every phase of the game: in the batter's box, on the base paths and defensively." More important, Whittemore said, was that Bennett consistently led the Wildcats of Carson City from the first practice, throughout the regular season.
Alongside Bennett, sophomore first baseman Corey Pool, freshman outfielder DJ Peters and sophomore Kody Reynolds made the SWAC first team. Selected to the second team were sophomore pitcher Max Karnos, designated hitter Tim Lichty, and freshman pitchers Matt Young and Ty Fox.
Earning honorable mention were sophomore relief pitcher Connor Zwetsch, who led the Wildcats with seven saves; sophomore relief pitcher Cody Kerns, who topped the club with a 1.19 earned run average; and infielder Austin Andrews, who hit .268 and scored 27 runs.
When Bennett joined the Wildcats in 2013, the program was loaded with outfielders, including Conor Harber, Joey Crunkilton, Matt Becker, Christian Stolo and Alex Fife.
"Rather than quit or transfer to another school, he took it upon himself to work harder than anybody ever," Whittemore said. "It's his work ethic and competitiveness that sets him apart."
Bennett's contributions and consistency was evidenced by his 39-game streak of reaching base that began late last season and extended more than halfway through the current season.
Peters was second to Bennett with a .346 batting average. The right fielder and spot reliever hit seven homers, 11 doubles and four triples, and was second on the club with 38 RBI.
"He doesn't take days off," Whittemore said. "He has great drive and is as committed as any player in the country. He was smart enough to figure out that by following J.B.'s lead, it's going to get him somewhere."
Pool led the SWAC with eight homers and wound up fourth on the team with a .294 average.
"Corey bought into the program and committed to the team," Whittemore said. "But what sets him apart is his defense." Pool knocked in 32 runs and committed just seven errors.
Reynolds consistently delivered in the middle of the Wildcats' lineup, leading the team in doubles (17), triples (six), extra-base hits (27) and RBI (45). The former McQueen High star was third on the team with a .333 average.
"He was tremendous for us all year," Whittemore said.
Reynolds made the transition from third base to shortstop halfway through the fall season to solidify the club's middle infield. He wound up leading the SWAC with 147 assists.
Lichty provided one of the Wildcats' two walk-off hits - a home run to end a marathon game against Salt Lake that spanned two days in March at John L. Harvey Field. The catcher/designated hitter batted .275 with 13 extra-base hits and a .413 slugging average.
Karnos, Young and Fox anchored the Wildcats' pitching staff, starting 32 games between them. Karnos won half of his 10 decisions, was second to Kerns with a 1.89 ERA and had a team-leading 70 strikeouts in 81 innings. Young led the staff with eight wins in 11 decisions, topped the starters with a .186 average for opposing hitters and was third on the staff with a 2.59 ERA. Fox finished strong, winning six of eight games and crafting a 3.82 ERA.
