Ten years ago Ben Van Cleve crushed the first-ever home run at Indianola’s Chism Park.
The road since traveled has now taken the former Indianola Academy star to the pinnacle level of college baseball while playing the game for the Ole Miss Rebels.
Making the most of his opportunities during this past weekend’s season-opening series, Van Cleve quickly made his presence known at Swayze Field in Oxford.
Already picking up a new moniker “Ben Van CLUTCH” in Twitter circles, Van Cleve indeed opened his Division 1 baseball career in fine fashion.
His memorable designated hitter effort included a two for three hitting performance against the then top-ranked University of Louisville Cardinals.
During this three game series, Van Cleve would slap a double in the first game and then deliver a game-changing double in game three.
“It was a fun weekend for sure”, said the transfer from Northwest Mississippi Community College. Van Cleve also noted, “I was pretty nervous going into my first at bat. But after that I settled down.”
Although striking out in his first appearance against Louisville’s heralded lefthander, Reid Detmer, Van Cleve’s second appearance against the Cardinals’ starter resulted in a double down the right field line.
“He was definitely one of the best lefthanders I have ever faced”, said Van Cleve of last year’s Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year. Detmer is also expected to be a high first round pick of the Major League Baseball draft.
While the Rebels dropped that Friday night game, they rebounded to claim the victories in their Saturday and Sunday contests to take the series from the Cardinals.
It was following that third game that Ole Miss Head Coach Mike Bianco remarked “Nothing was bigger than the Ben Van Cleve double. It was the biggest hit of the game.”
The shot to right center field helped ignite a four run, seventh inning explosion by the Rebels; an uprising which gave them a permanent lead in their 7-6 victory.
With an average Swayze Field fan attendance of 9,576 per game during this series, playing in front of this large of a crowd was another new experience for Van Cleve.
“It was an unreal feeling,” said Van Cleve. “When there was a big moment in the game, you could definitely hear all 9,000 people.”
“I am just proud of how incredible our pitching staff was this entire series. So many people stepped up. And then to end the third game with the play our catcher did was unbelievable.”
Speaking of fellow freshman and Mississippian (Pearl River Central High School) Hayden Dunhurst’s strike-them-out, throw-them-out double play from behind the plate, Van Cleve noted “It was just unreal to be a part of ending the game like that. It was just an awesome weekend.”
