Big-Game Benthal has Tropics on brink of another World Series title

Southeast Tropics catcher Trey Benthal hits a grand slam against Puerto Rico in the quarterfinal round of the Babe Ruth World Series on Wednesday, Aug. 14, at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

Memo to the remaining teams competing in the Babe Ruth World Series on Thursday: You might want to think twice about pitching to Southeast Tropics cleanup hitter Trey Benthal.

“Trey is the leader,” veteran Tropics manager Dustin Schwartz said earlier in the tournament. “He brings so much to that four-spot.”

The Tropics are two steps away from repeating as the World Series champions after beating Puerto Rico 5-0 on Wednesday at Capaha Field.

That win, which was the Tropics’ fifth in the World Series, and 11th consecutive over the last month, advances them to a match-up with the Alabama Raw Dogs (5-0) today at 10 a.m. at Capaha Field.

If you study the production by Benthal, not just in the World Series, but all summer long, the numbers sound fictional.

The Three Rivers College sophomore-to-be has eight hits in 11 at-bats (for a .727 average) and has driven in 10 runs.

Southeast Tropics hitter Trey Benthal is congratulated by his teammates after hitting a home run on Sunday against Mountain View, California at Capaha Field.

Tony Capobianco ~ Tcapobianco@semoball.com

“Even when guys aren’t hitting their best around him,” Schwartz said, “he hits well enough that he can allow some of these other guys to get hot and start seeing the ball again.”

Benthal has crushed a pair of home runs in two of the past three World Series games, as well as doubled twice in the Series, walked three times, and scored four runs.

“It is incredible,” Schwartz said. “He can put us on his shoulders.”

And Benthal hasn’t just been “incredible” over the past week.

He now has a 12-game hitting streak with six of those games having notched at least two hits.

Interestingly enough, as the pitching got better, his power increased.

Benthal had gone 13 consecutive games without a home run before connecting for one on Sunday and Wednesday.

The former Portageville High standout not only has been a leader at the plate but behind it, as well.

As a Tropics’ pitcher was laboring against a California squad, who had the tying run on first base on Sunday, Benthal saved Schwartz a trip to the mound in the seventh inning by calling a timeout and speaking to the infield to “calm everybody down,” Schwartz explained.

“Three pitches later,” Schwartz said, “we get two outs and the ball game is over. He has been in big games with us and with Portageville. He brings so much to the team from the mental side of it, as well.”

Today will conclude a magnificent run by the Tropics’ program, as Schwartz announced prior to this season that he would step aside from leading the program to devote more time to his family, which includes his wife, Allison, and infant son, Jovi.

“Maybe, I’ll be back at it in 2040,” Schwartz laughed earlier this year. “I’m excited to have (Jovi) here and knowing that he’s going to be here for the last year, it’s going to be special for me.”