Trey Benton

Height:
6-4
Weight:
205
Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
Cerro Gordo
High School:
West Columbus
Major:
Business Management

All-conference candidate that will be penciled into the weekend rotation for the third-straight season … Owns a 7-9 career record in 36 appearances (23 starts) with 142 strikeouts to 32 walks in 140.0 innings … Preseason All-AAC selection by College Baseball Daily ... Tabbed as the 35th-best player in the country by College Baseball Daily heading into 2019 … 2018: Started the season in the weekend rotation … Made 22 appearances with nine starts … Posted a 4-5 record with a 3.13 ERA (fourth on the team) … Surrendered 30 runs (24 earned) on 69 hits in 69.0 innings … Struck out 68 (second on team) while walking 13 (5.23 K-to-BB ratio, which ranked 43rd nationally) … Notched wins against Charlotte (March 9), Maryland (March 16), No. 6 North Carolina (Feb. 23) and Western Carolina (Feb. 16) … Suffered losses vs. Pepperdine (March 2), No. 20 UCF (March 23), USF (April 15), Washington (April 6) and No. 18 Wichita State (March 29) … Combined on one shutout (Maryland/March 16) … Named AAC Pitcher-of-the-Week (Feb. 26) after striking out a career-high 11 batters and limiting No. 6 North Carolina to one run (unearned) on two hits in six innings of work in a 2-1 victory … Worked five innings or more in a start six times (six-plus on four occasions) … Gave up just one run (earned) in a career-long outing (8.1 innings) at Charlotte (March 9) in a 3-1 victory … Fanned multiple batters in a game 13 times (six-plus on six occasions) … In nine starts recorded a 4-5 ledger with a 4.44 ERA … Surrendered 26 runs (23 earned) on 55 hits in 46.2 innings … Fanned 47 batters while only walking four (11.75-to-1 K-to-BB ratio) … Surrendered two or less runs in a start four times … Issued one walk or less in 19 of 22 appearances … Eighteen of 69 hits resulted in extra bases (15 doubles, three home runs) … Relegated to the bullpen on April 27 (vs. Houston) where he tossed 3.2 shutout frames with six punch outs … Appeared in 13 games out of the bullpen boasting a 0.40 ERA … Gave up just four runs (one earned) on 14 hits in 22.1 frames, while striking out 21 and issuing nine free passes … Held opposing hitters to a .182 composite batting average in relief … Allowed just four of 20 inherited runners to score (20.0 percent) … Worked at least one full inning of relief in nine of 13 contest with a season-long 3.2 vs. Houston (April 27) … Fanned at least two batters in an outing (bullpen) six times … Did not allow a run in his first 18.2 innings out of the pen (10 games) that spanned from April 27 to May 24 … In 11 of 13 relief appearances didn’t allow a run (four runs in last three outings to close the season) … In league play, appeared in 10 games making three starts … Posted an 0-3 record with a 4.70 ERA … Allowed 13 runs (12 earned) on 24 hits in 23.0 innings … Struck out 19 while walking seven … Led the AAC in fewest walks allowed (13), while standing among the league leaders in fewest triples allowed (0/t1st), fewest home runs allowed (3/t5th), fewest earned runs allowed (24/sixth), fewest runs allowed (30/t6th) and ERA (3.13/eighth) … Appeared in five postseason games (all relief) allowing four runs (one earned) on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts in 7.2 innings … 2018 Summer: Played for the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League … Teammate of current Pirates Spencer Brickhouse and Gavin Williams … Appeared in nine games making three starts … Posted an 0-3 record with a pair of saves … Sported a 2.01 ERA allowing 12 runs (five earned) on 21 hits … Struck out 19 and walked 10 in 22.1 innings … Notched saves against Wareham (June 21) and Brewster (June 26) … Fanned multiple batters in a game five times with a summer-high five at Orleans (July 14).

2017: Closed out rookie season appearing in 14 games (all starts) in the weekend rotation … Posted a 3-4 record with a 4.18 ERA … Fanned a team-high 74 batters while walking just 19 … Allowed 39 runs (33 earned) on 62 hits in 71.0 innings of work … Made collegiate debut at No. 8 Ole Miss (Feb. 19) surrendering two runs (both earned) on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 1.2 innings … Named to AAC Honor Roll (March 6) after tossing seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts against Appalachian State in the LeClair Classic … Fanned a then career-high 10 batters on two occasions (La Salle/Feb. 26 and Towson/March 25) … Tallied team-best five quality starts (App. State, Mercer, Towson, Connecticut, UCF) … Notched first career win against La Salle (Feb. 26) … Also, had wins versus Appalachian State (March 5) and Towson (March 25) … Suffered losses at Houston (April 8), at Cincinnati (April 21), Tulane (April 29) and Memphis (May 13) … Worked into the fifth inning in 10 of 14 starts with a career-best 7.1 against UCF (April 14) … Surrendered two or less runs in a game eight times (none twice) … Stands third on ECU freshman pitching charts in innings pitched (74.0) … Two or fewer earned runs seven times … Fanned multiple batters in a contest 13 times (five or more seven times) … Held opposing hitters to a .231 composite batting average … Ranked among team leaders in six statistical categories including games started, innings pitched and strikeouts … Allowed 17 extra base hits (nine doubles, eight home runs) … Appeared in seven games (all starts) in AAC action posting an 0-4 record with a 6.00 ERA … Ranked among AAC leaders (all games) in opposing BA (.231/fourth), fewest BBs allowed (19/t4th) and fewest hits allowed (62/seventh) … Appeared in one postseason contest.

West Columbus High School: Four-year starter and letterwinner for coach Jeff Lamb … Helped the Vikings to a 59-50 record during his four years … Posted a 26-16 overall record on the mound with a 1.63 ERA … Tallied 312 strikeouts to 82 walks in 253.1 innings … Allowed 102 runs (59 earned) with a pair of saves and held opposing hitters to a .204 composite batting average … Four-time team pitching MVP and All-Columbus County selection … Two-time 3 Rivers All-Conference honoree (2014 and 2016) … As a freshman went 6-4 in 11 appearances … Sported a 1.73 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 60.2 innings … Surrendered 27 runs (15 earned) on 50 hits … Tallied four or more strikeouts in a game eight times with a season-high seven twice (Fairmont HS and Pender HS) … Allowed one or less run in seven of 11 outings (no runs four times) … During sophomore campaign posted a 6-3 record with a 2.05 ERA on his way to the first of two all-conference selections … Fanned 60 while walking 23 in 61.1 innings of work … Gave up 28 runs (18 earned) on 55 hits … Struck out a season-high 12 batters in 2014 debut against East Bladen HS (2/28/14) where he allowed one run (unearned) on one hits over six frames … Tallied four or more punch outs in nine of 12 contests … As a junior went 7-5 on the mound with a 1.28 ERA in 11 starts … Struck out a then career-high 95 batters while issuing 22 free passes in 71.1 innings … Allowed 20 runs (13 earned) on 44 hits … Fanned a season-high 13 batters twice (St. Pauls HS and Camden County HS) … Had four or more strikeouts in 11 of 16 appearances … Held opponents to one or few runs in 11 of 16 appearances (no runs six times) … Opposing hitters batted at a .167 clip … Notched first high school save against East Carteret (5/16/15) striking out five in 2.1 innings … Recorded three complete games including a complete game shutout against Camden County (5/19/15) … Closed out prep career with a 7-4 record and a 1.52 ERA … Fanned a career-best 105 batters and walked 21 in 60.0 innings … Held opposing hitters to a .213 composite average … Allowed 27 runs (13 earned) on 50 hits … Notched second career save against East Columbus (4/29/16) with a perfect inning and two strikeouts … Tallied a career-high 14 strikeouts on two occasions (South Robeson HS and Red Springs HS) … Had four double-digit strikeout performances and fanned four or more batters in a contest 11 of 12 appearances … Struck out nine (five swinging, four looking) against Fairmont High in March of 2016 … Recorded three complete games (two complete game shutouts) … Member of the North Carolina Baseball Coaches Association (NCBCA) All-Star team alongside current Pirate teammates Spencer Brickhouse, Bryant Packard and Tyler Smith that participated in the NC/SC Challenge … Honor graduate who posted a 3.98 cumulative GPA … Junior Marshall and Beta Club member … Played travel ball for the Dirtbags under coach Andy Partin … Rated as the third-best right-handed and No. 8 overall prospect in the state of North Carolina by Perfect Game … Also tabbed as the 64th-best righty and No. 201 overall prospect nationally by Perfect Game … 2016 Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American and First-Team All-Atlantic Regional selection … Participated in several showcase events including 2013 PG Super25 2017 Grads or 15U Coastal Qualifier in Greenville, S.C., 2014-15 WWBA World Championships in Jupiter, Fla. (all-tournament team), 2014 WWBA Underclass World Championships in Fort Myers, Fla. (all-tournament team), 2014 15U Perfect Game World Series in Fort Myers, Fla., 2014 16U Perfect Game World Series in Fort Myers, Fla., 2014 WWBA 2016 Grads or 16U National Championships in Cartersville, Ga., 2015 WWBA 2017 Grads or 16U National Championships in Cartersville, Ga. (all-tournament team) and 2015 WWBA 2016 Grads or 17U National Championships in Cartersville, Ga.

Personal: Full name is Ricky James Benton, III but prefers to go by Trey … Born in Wilmington, N.C. … Son of Angie and Rick Benton … Has three siblings (Cody, Cole and Chase) … Brother Cody is committed to playing baseball at ECU after signing a National Letter of Intent on Nov. 14, 2018 … Majoring in business management with a concentration in entrepreneurship and small business management … Three-time ECU Director of Athletics Honor Roll selection (Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018) … Named to 2018 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team.