Biography
AS A SENIOR IN 2016: All-CCAA second team selection … Started at first base in all 48 games … Finished fifth in the CCAA with 53 hits and ninth with a .363 batting average against conference schools … Led the team with a .349 batting average, 65 hits, 11 doubles and seven sacrifice flies … Became CSUSM hit king with his 227th career hit in the series opener against Cal Poly Pomona (March 11) … Concluded his four-year campaign as the career leader in hits (264), double plays turned (139), fielding percentage (.991), games started (196) and games played (194) … Finished second in the career stats in doubles (46), runs scored (147), RBIs (150), walks (71), sacrifice flies (19), sacrifice hits (14) … His .368 career batting average and .417 on base percentage ranks him third in the career stats … Recorded a team-best 19 multi-hit games, putting him as CSUSM’s leader with 71 multi-hit games … Eight multi-RBI games … Had CSUSM’s longest hit streak of 2016 with 19 games (Feb. 9 – March 25), ranking him third on the all-time list … Reached base safely for 24 consecutive times (March 11-May 8), second best in 2016 and ranked him ninth on the CSUSM all-time list … Tossed 3.1 innings in relief, tallying five strikeouts and relinquishing only one earned run … Went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and two doubles against La Sierra (Feb. 19) … Crushed a two-run homer against Concordia-Irvine (Feb. 13) … Knocked out his second home run of 2016 in a 3-for-5 plate appearance against UC San Diego (May 6).
2015 SUMMER BALL: Played for the San Diego Mavericks … Selected to the Western Baseball Association (WBA) All-Star team.
AS A JUNIOR IN 2015: All-A.I.I. Conference second team honoree … A.I.I. All-Tournament Team selection … CSUSM Male Athlete of the Year … Started in all 53 games at first base … Had a .387 batting average, with career highs in runs (45), hits (82), RBIs (44) … Second on the team with 22 multiple-hit efforts … Recorded 22 extra bases with 16 doubles, four triples and two home runs … Had a team-high five sacrifice bunts … Hit in the three hole the entire season … Tallied two five-hit games and four four-hit games this season … Struck out only six times in 212 at bats … Hit .438 in the final 19 games of the season … Went 4-for-5 with three runs in the A.I.I. Conference Championship winner-takes-all game against Georgia Gwinnett (May 5) … Was 5-for-7 with two RBIs and two runs scored in the A.I.I. Conference Championship semifinals (May 4) … Went 5-for-6 with four RBIs and two runs against San Diego Christian (March 10) … Ranks second in the CSUSM single season record book with 82 hits … Batted .538 (7-for-13) with two doubles and a triple in the three game series against University of Sioux Falls (March 14-15) … Was the second Cougar to hit a home run this season, knocking one out of the park against San Diego Christian (Jan. 27) … Crushed his second home run against then No. 2-ranked Lewis-Clark State (Feb. 13).
2014 SUMMER BALL: Played for the Hannibal Caveman (Mo.) alongside CSUSM teammate Justin Hertzmann and Clinton Perez in the Prospect League … Led the team with a .280 batting average.
AS A SOPHOMORE IN 2014: Appeared in all 48 games with 46 starts at first base … Hit .339 (58-for-171) with 10 doubles, 35 RBIs, and 34 runs scored … Had a .402 OBP and .398 SLG% … Tied for the team lead with 58 hits … Second on the team with 68 total bases and seven hit by pitches … Finished third on the team with 10 doubles and 34 runs scored … Struck out only eight times in 171 at bats... Hit safely in 16 consecutive games (March 8 – April 4) and 11 consecutive games (April 5 – April 24) … Went 2-for-2 with three RBIs, a walk and a run scored against La Sierra (April 11) … Had 14 multi-hit games, including four three-hit games … Went 3-for-4 with an RBI, a double and three runs scored against Antelope Valley (April 5) … Had seven multi-RBI games … Went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, a sacrifice fly and a run scored against Biola (Feb. 15) … His six sacrifice flies were the fourth-most in a season in CSUSM history … Four sacrifice hits were six most in a season in Cougar history … Went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored against Sioux Falls (March 16) … Fielding percentage of .993 (418-21-3) was the second-best for a first baseman in program history … 442 chances and 418 putouts were the second-most in a season in CSUSM history … Had 15 chances and 15 putouts (1.000 fielding percentage) against Antelope Valley (March 7) … Pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout against La Sierra (April 13).
AS A FRESHMAN IN 2013: Named All-Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) first team and to the All-A.I.I. Tournament Team after a standout freshman campaign ... Led the Cougars with 59 hits and batted .349, third-highest on the squad ... Recorded nine doubles, a pair of homeruns and 36 RBI while slugging .450 ... Started 46 of 47 games in which he appeared at first base, posting a fielding percentage of .982 ... Set a single-season school record with 421 putouts ... Recorded a walk-off RBI base hit in his first home game against No. 11 Concordia (Calif.) on Feb. 2 ... Went 4-for-4 with two RBI and double vs. Chapman (Feb. 12) ... 3-for-4 with a career-high three RBI in win over Ashford (Mar. 7) ... Hit first career homerun in win over La Sierra (Feb. 22), going 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBI and a double ... Led the team with 17 multiple-hit games and seven games with three hits ... Tied for the team lead with 10 multiple RBI games ... Named A.I.I. Male Athlete of the Week on Mar. 11 after hitting .467 (7-for-15), tallying six RBI and two doubles over four games between Mar. 4-10.
HIGH SCHOOL: A 2012 graduate of Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, Calif. ... All-Palomar Conference first team selection ... Was a member of a team that won the 2011 CIF Championship ... Played travel ball for the Encinitas Gamers.
PERSONAL: Born June 8, 1994 in Poway, Calif. ... Son of David and Traci Bentson ... Has an older sister, Samantha ... Lists playing at Tony Gwynn Stadium for the CIF Finals his junior and senior year as his most memorable moment in high school ... Enjoys playing basketball, FIFA '12 and watching sports during his spare time … Has two most memorable moments at CSUSM: Winning the A.I.I. Conference Tournament in 2015 against the top-ranked team in the nation and getting his first college hit in walk-off fashion against No. 11 Concordia his freshman year ... Favorite thing about CSUSM is the stairs … Majoring in Mass Media ... Plans on becoming a sports journalist or broadcaster.
