2B/OF Pierce Bennett:
After a short hiatus, we're revealing our next player on our list of top 20 players from the past season! Starting off the top ten we have Pierce Bennett. In my opinion, Bennett was one of the more undervalued players in college baseball this past season. He brought energy and timely hits better than almost anyone.
One of my favorite moments of the season was against Miami back on March 26th. I was at that game and it had been delayed several times due to lightning. However, Bennett hit one of the hardest hit ropes I've ever seen for a home run. It got what appeared to be no more than 15 feet off the ground, and wrapped just around the left field foul pole to propel Wake Forest to a 4-1 victory in eight innings.
Bennett helped fuel the potent Wake Forest lineup, leading the team in batting average and doubles. He hit seven home runs and had 65 RBI. He was excellent in the postseason, hitting .556 in the Winston-Salem Regional with 11 RBI and earned a spot on the all-tournament team. Overall, he hit .486 with 14 RBI in the postseason. To add to it, Bennett was one of the best defenders the Deacs had and rarely struck out.
Bennett was one of the guys who was overshadowed by the likes of his supporting cast; names such as Brock Wilken and Nick Kurtz. This "disrespect," if you will, is what I believe led to Bennett crushing teams. When you focus too much on the big name guys, talented players such as Bennett will come and give you an uppercut.
Bennett is from Baltimore, Maryland. He played at Wake Forest from 2020-23 and was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 20th round of the First Year Player Draft with the 613th overall pick. He was a 2023 Winston-Salem Regional All-Tournament Team selection and a 2022 College Park Regional All-Tournament Team selection.