The sport of baseball has a storied history in Evansville, Indiana.  In 1988, one of Evansville's favorite sons put the city on the map in a big way as Andy Benes went from a late bloomer in high school to the top overall draft pick in Major League Baseball and an Olympic gold medalist.  He also led the Purple Aces baseball team to a berth in the NCAA Tournament and a win over the nation's top seed.  Benes gave us an inside look at his career and we are proud to share this story. 
  Making his name in Evansville

Andy Benes was a 3-sport start at Evansville Central High School, playing football, basketball and baseball.  Despite going onto a 14-year career in Major League Baseball, Benes called baseball his 3^rd-best sport in high school.  One of the turning points in his baseball career actually took place during a football game.

"(UE head baseball coach) Jim Brownlee recruited me while he was refereeing high school games in the fall.  He saw me get knocked around quite a bit and get right back up and he said I want him to play for me," Benes said.  "Evansville actually offered me the opportunity to play Division II football and Division I baseball; I also jumped into a few basketball games for Coach Jim Crews when they were short on guys."

One major advantage for the Aces in their recruiting of Benes was that their home games were played at Bosse Field.  It also happened to be the home park for Central HS.  Benes returned to Bosse for its 100^th Anniversary celebration in 2015 and it is a place that he is proud to have pitched at.

"There is so much history there, I watch the movie "A League of their Own" and say wow, I played there, that's home," he accounted as he looked back.  "Pitching there in high school was a really big deal and I am going to play my college games there now.  It was special to play at Bosse with all of the history, the Triplets played there and I grew up going there and watching games.  It was a really special place and to be asked back to be part of that ceremony was really sweet."

With his college career progressing, Benes decided that he wanted to focus 100% on baseball.  As a sophomore in the fall of 1986, he played his final games on the football field for the Aces, completing 92 passes for 1,378 yards with 10 touchdowns.  He then went to work on the mound and also made an important commitment off the field as he married his girlfriend – Jennifer; a relationship that is as strong as ever today.  Through his first two seasons on the mound, he went 13-11, but following his second season at UE, things started to change.  He gained 10 miles per hour in his pitching velocity and hit 90 MPH for the first time in the summer of 1987.

"I went to Clarinda, Iowa for the summer, playing in the Jayhawk League; I worked during the day and we played at night," Benes explained.  "It was a tough summer, but there was one tournament at the end of the year in Wichita, Kansas – I did not think I was going to pitch much and I said, I am not going to Wichita for a week and not pitch, so I said I'm going home."

"My wife and I drove back to Evansville, I called Coach Brownlee and said I'm done, I was tired and he said you get your butt in the car right now and drive to Wichita and stick it out.  I did, because with my scholarship, I'm sure they would not have taken it from me, but they would have threatened that. It was a very important decision in my baseball career; I got into one game and faced five guys, struck all five out and that was the first time I hit 90 MPH."

Not only was it the first time he found that type of velocity, it also marked his first interaction with an MLB scout.  Following the outing in Wichita, a Phillies scout approached him and introduced himself.  He said that he looked forward to following Benes that year and would remain in touch.

"Had Coach Brownlee not said get your butt in the car and get out there, who knows?  Obviously, I would have still been throwing hard, but it was the first time that I got on the pro radar.  It was fun, made me think that I might be able to play after (college)."

Benes continued his hard work that fall and was ready to roll as the Purple Aces embarked on the 1988 season.  The bump in his velocity continued and gave him confidence heading into his junior year.  It did not take long for Benes to make his mark.  In his second start of the season against UNC Wilmington, Benes struck out a school record 21 batters.

"After that second game where I hit 101 (MPH), it was on.  Four days later, I faced the same team and struck out 19, I was throwing really hard," he explained.  "Pitchers get bump in velocity – I got a 10 MPH bump and went from not even being looked at as a pro guy to a year later being talked about as possibly being the first pick." 

Many would think that the pressure would begin to mount as Benes made his way through the 1988 season.  He was quickly moving up the ladder of the MLB draft boards while he was working to balance his married life, education and a team that was battling for a conference championship.  He never wavered and embraced the opportunity.

"I went out and threw hard and located and overpowered the teams.  Right then, it went from people looking at me to wow, this guys has a chance to be the top pick or at least a top 10 pick.  After that, there were guys right behind home plate with the radar gun at every start," he said in reference to the 1988 season.  "We would be at Bosse Field and they (scouts) were lined up, probably 15-20 teams every time I threw.  As the season went on into April, May, they started dwindling down because only the top teams would be there watching.  At that point, developmentally, it is hard to hit it when it is coming at 100 MPH, so there wasn't as much pressure as I thought there was."

Not only was Benes enjoying individual success, he was part of a team that was on its way to playing in the NCAA Tournament.  UE went 11-1 in Midwestern Collegiate Conference play and defeated Detroit in the championship game to clinch its NCAA berth.  On NCAA selection day, the Aces found out they would be facing the top seed in the nation – Arizona State. 

"What's cool about it is that we got a lot of exposure from the media because of myself and Rob Maurer, the two of us were the focus of that team from pitching and hitting, but it was a really cool team," Benes exclaimed.  "We were really close knit, made a regional, knocked off ASU who was really good; their whole lineup was drafted.  I went into that game thinking I was going to throw a shutout, but I did not know if we could score unless Rob hits a HR.  In the 7^th inning, Rob hit a home run and I said that's all we need guys, just catch the ball and we're going to win."

And that is how it played out.  UE picked up a 1-0 win and, despite falling in its next two contests, won 44 games and defeated the top team in the nation.  For a school the size of the University of Evansville, this put them on the map.

"Later in San Diego, I played with one of the players from that ASU team.  The team was at a sports bar watching the selection show.  They knew they were probably going to be the top team.  When they found out they were going to be playing the University of Evansville, my former teammate said that everyone literally started laughing, they asked who they were playing in the second game because we never heard of these guys," Benes explained.  "Baseball America was pretty big at that time and my buddy looked at that and told his guys that we have to face the top pitcher in the country.  I thought that was interesting because our perspective is that it was David versus Goliath.  They were so much better than we were, overall." 

"Any given day, anyone can win.  I was on that day.  I heard Bob Buck's call and it gives me chills.  They have had some unbelievable players at Arizona State.  It is intimidating to go in there, but Coach Brownlee knew we were going to win.  And you know what, all you have to do is believe and we believed.  I remember that because our opponent, even if they didn't know who we were, their manager knew, some of their players knew but after the first inning, they ALL knew it was game on."

Following the Tempe Regional, the team returned to Evansville and Benes knew in the back of his mind that the draft was quickly approaching.  With the days counting down to draft day, Benes had a good idea of how things may play out.  He also said that the team's performance against ASU in Tempe added a jump start to his career.

"From what I understood, I was going to be the first or fourth pick.  The teams picking second and third were going to take high school guys, so I figured I was going to be in San Diego or Baltimore.  It was also really cool knowing that I would have gotten to play with a future Hall of Famer in either place – Tony Gwynn in San Diego or Cal Ripken in Baltimore," Benes said.  "It was fun to be the 1^st pick.  There's only one guy per year with that status.  People ask what it was like around draft time, but there were no cell phones, no internet, the Padres called me on my in-laws phone in Evansville, said they took me, we'll be in touch and that was about it."

While Benes was taking a cautious approach to draft day, knowing that he would be a high pick and excited for the opportunity, Coach Brownlee had a much different outlook.  When asked if Benes would be the top pick, Brownlee had an excellent response at the time.  "The Padres are taking him, you can bet the house on it."  Benes chuckled at the comment and explained his relationship with Brownlee, which continues to this day.

"That explains 100% who he is.  I think he believed in me and what I could do.  He had been around the game a long time.  Greg Olson was the other guy who was considered to be the top pick, he was from Auburn and is a good friend of mine now, we played together for a few years in Arizona," Benes said.  "At that point, I threw a lot harder than everybody, I was a starter, which was a big deal.  San Diego decided that they want a starter and not a reliever.  Jim (Brownlee) was confident and assertive, there were times we had a love/hate relationship, he challenged me and would get in my face, even though he was a half foot shorter."

"Even though I knew I was going to be a high pick, he was my coach, my authority, he controlled what was going to happen and the trajectory of my season," he added.  "I love him and we still communicate a lot today.  We talk about the old times, he meant a lot to the university and myself.  He stuck with me and believed in me before I believed in me.  I believed at 20 years old when I was throwing 100, but he believed in me and pushed me to be great before that and I am very thankful."

Thirty years after the completion of his career at the University of Evansville, Benes took some time to look back on his time there.

"I survived three years of pre-med undergrad.  I was trying to play D-I baseball and football for two years.  In my junior year, I had the draft coming up and was taking organic chemistry and upper level biology classes and it was a lot," he reminisced.  "I was married, but was focused on my studies.  I never looked at it as if I was going to be gone in three years, I was looking at it as I am graduating in four years and I do not know what is in front of me." 

"The thing I appreciate as I look back is that the professors were good with me because they knew I cared and that I was not cutting corners.  When we were out of town, they worked with the athletes to help us get done what we needed to do and fulfill our obligations.  Academics were very important to me.  I was able to go back and finish my degree at Saint Louis University when I was 42.  I tell people it took me 24 years and 6 months to finish my degree start to finish, but when I say it is important to get your education, I wanted to model that and not just say well you guys need to do it.  Yes I was playing MLB, but I wanted to show my boys the importance of having a degree."