Coffey, Benjamin enjoying success playing minor league baseball

Three weeks ago, I began my 35th year covering high school athletics.

While this certainly doesn't make me an expert on the topic, it does guarantee that I have seen more than 1,000 athletic events during that time.

Throughout the years, I have covered plenty of sports, including baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling.

A few things have remained constant - the love and pride that student-athletes possess and display for their respective high schools along with the pure joy that comes with hitting a home run, throwing a touchdown pass, knocking down a 3-pointer, heading in a crossing pass, and delivering a service ace.

On a personal note, this past spring offered me the unique opportunity to watch - and on rare occasions - cover my son, Brett, playing baseball during his senior season at St. Charles East.

Admittedly, nothing beats hearing and receiving the congratulatory comments that have been made about my son from the respective area coaches.

Well, enough about that.

It is time to look at the progress former area prep baseball standouts have made this season.

Winning championships is nothing new to Batavia's Micah Coffey.

Coffey, who quarterbacked the Bulldogs to the Class 6A state football title (13-1 record) during his senior year in 2013, helped lead the University of Minnesota's baseball team to Big Ten Conference regular season and tournament titles as a collegiate senior this past season.

A 4-year starter at third base, Coffey batted .278 with 5 home runs, 11 doubles and 34 RBI as the Gophers (44-15) captured their first NCAA regional title since 1977.

Playing on their home field, the Gophers opened postseason play with a 10-1 victory over Canisius before defeating UCLA 3-2 in 10 innings and 13-8 on back-to-back days in early June.

Coffey delivered the game-winning RBI double in the top of the 10th against UCLA.

Although Coffey's collegiate career came to an end a week later during the Gophers' 0-2 finish in the Super Regional against eventual NCAA national champion Oregon State, the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder was selected in the 30th round (888th pick) by the Chicago White Sox in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft.

After signing his first professional contract on June 17, Coffey was assigned the next day to the Rookie-level Arizona League White Sox.

A little more than a month later, Coffey earned a promotion to the White Sox Short-A team based in Montana - the Great Falls Voyagers.

Last Saturday, Coffey went 1 for 3 with a 2-run double to help lift Great Falls to a 2-game sweep of Billings in the Pioneer League semifinals.

"It has been exciting to move up another level and make contributions for this team," said Coffey, who is hitting .256 with 5 doubles and 10 RBI in 26 games for Great Falls. "I'm just trying to find ways to help the team."

Great Falls began its best-of-3 Pioneer League Championship Series in Colorado with a win Tuesday night against Grand Junction.

"It's important to me," said Coffey, who also is getting married Sept. 23 and will be living in Lockport. "We want to win and be around a winning culture."

The 23-year-old admits his first professional season has been challenging.

"There's a grind to it, no doubt," he said. "But it's nice. It's all good."

St. Charles East product Wes Benjamin enjoyed another solid season in the Minor Leagues during his first year at the Double-AA level in Frisco, Texas.

Benjamin, a left-handed starting pitcher in the Texas Rangers' organization, finished with a 5-6 record and 3.62 ERA for the Frisco Roughriders this past season.

"Each year, there are new obstacles to overcome," said Benjamin, who was the Rangers' 5th-round draft pick in 2014. "This year, I learned the importance of mixing pitches and changing the eye level (for hitters). It wasn't as necessary at Single-A but I had to find new ways of getting guys out this season."

Benjamin, who starred at the University of Kansas, walked 23 and struck out 72 in 79 2/3 innings.

"I learned from Darren Oliver (Rangers' Special Assistant to GM) that 33 percent of the time, you'll go out there with all of your pitches working," said Benjamin. "Another 33 percent of the time, you'll have one or two pitches working, and the other 33 percent of the time, you'll have nothing.

"Having fastball command is a major constant. You'll have a 10 times better chance of having a good game with fastball command."

After being selected to the Texas League All-Star Team in June, Benjamin was sidelined with an injury for more than a month before returning in style.

Over his last 4 starts (25 IP), Benjamin posted a 2.16 ERA with 4 walks and 17 strikeouts.

"It was very encouraging to see myself bounce back," he said. "I'm anxious and excited to see what 2019 brings."

You can reach Craig Brueske at csb4k@comcast.net