Kansas Jayhawks
Benjamin Sems - Baseball - Kansas Jayhawks
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Benjamin Sems

Position IF
Height 6'2''
Weight 165 lbs.
Class Freshman
Hometown Chesterfield, Mo.
High School Westminster Christian
B/T L/R

HONORS & AWARDS

  • 2020 All-Big 12 Preseason Team
  • 2019 All-Big 12 Second Team
  • 2019 Academic All-Big 12 First Team
  • 2018 Academic All-Big 12 First Team
  • 2016-17 Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team
  • Fall 2016 Athletic Director’s & Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Rolls
  • Spring 2017 Athletic Director’s & Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Rolls

2020 (SHORTENED SEASON DUE TO CORONAVIRUS)

  • Named to the 2020 All-Big 12 Preseason Team
  • Started all 17 games at shortstop, finishing with a .255 average (14-for-55) with two home runs, nine RBI and 13 walks
  • Led Kansas in walks (13) and hit by pitches (6)
  • Tallied two multiple-RBI games – at Charleston Southern (2/22) and vs. Ball State (2/29)
  • Recorded first home run of the season at Belmont (2/16) and second at Charleston Southern (2/22)
  • Back-to-back-to-back multiple walk games – at Charleston Southern (2/23), vs. Michigan State (2/28) and vs. Ball State (2/29)
  • Four multi-hit games – at Charleston Southern (2/22), vs. Michigan State (2/28), vs. Ball State (2/29) and vs. Indiana State (3/8)

2019 (JUNIOR) 

  • Named to All-Big 12 Second Team and Academic All-Big 12 First Team
  • Started in all 56 games he played in
  • Batted .305 with 12 doubles, one triple, four home runs and 39 RBI
  • Started as Opening Day shortstop at USC Upstate (2/15)
  • First-career stolen base against the Spartans (2/16)
  • Recorded first multi-home run game of career vs. Texas Southern (2/23)
  • Swiped a career-high three bases vs. Seton Hall (3/13)
  • Finished second-best on the team in batting average (.305), OPS (.851), hits (60), RBI (46), slugging percentage (.437) and walks (31)
  • Swiped a team-leading 14 bases
  • Had 17 multi-hit games

2018 (SOPHOMORE)

  • Named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team
  • Started 52 of the 53 games he played in
  • Batted .240 (44-for-183) with nine doubles, two triples, four home runs and 29 RBIs
  • Started opening day at shortstop against Murray State (2/16)
  • Matched a then-career-high two hits against the Racers (2/16)
  • Notched a personal best in assists after six plus-defensive plays against Murray State (2/18)
  • Matched those six assists again in a game against Northwestern (2/25)
  • Rocketed first-career triple against Texas Southern (3/4), drove in a career-best five RBIs against the Tigers (3/4)
  • Hit second home run of his career Friday night at Baylor (3/23)
  • Matched career-high three hits against Morehead State (3/31)
  • Career-high two doubles against Wichita State (4/24)
  • Hit third home run of career as part of matching a personal-best three hits against West Virginia (5/6)
  • Hit go-ahead home run and scored a career-high three runs at K-State (5/11)

2017 (FRESHMAN)

  • Named to the 2016-17 Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team
  • Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 Athletic Director’s & Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Rolls
  • Played 25 games, making 16 starts
  • Batted .220 (11-of-55) with two doubles and one home run
  • Drove in eight RBIs
  • Started first-career game against Liberty at third base (2/18)
  • Notched first-career base hit against Omaha (2/21)
  • Scored first-career run vs. Northwestern State (3/5)
  • Made first-career start at shortstop against Houston Baptist (3/12)
  • Drove in first-career RBIs (2) at Oral Roberts (3/15) where he also collected a personal-best two hits
  • Career-high two sacrifice hits against Texas (3/31)
  • First-career double against then-No. 16 Missouri State (5/2)
  • Hit first-career home run against Texas Southern (5/5) for a personal-best three RBIs
  • Scored a career-high two runs against K-State (5/12)

WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

  • Won three baseball letters playing for head coach Rich Van Gilst
  • Helped the Wildcats to a 2014 Missouri baseball Class 4 state title
  • A two-time Honorable Mention All-State honoree
  • As a senior, hit .413, while leading the Wildcats in hits and stolen bases
  • Also boasted a .920 fielding percentage
  • Pitched 23.0 innings as the team’s closer
  • A four-time National Honor Student

PERSONAL

  • Born in Akron, Ohio
  • Son of Richard and Karin Sems
  • Has five siblings, Elizabeth, Nathaniel, Rebekah, David and Josiah
  • Two of his brothers are adopted from Ethiopia
  • Father, Richard, played football at Grove City College
  • Majoring in architecture.