2015 WholeHogSports Athlete of the Year

Benintendi was simply the best

Andrew Benintendi of Arkansas heads to down the line against of Mississippi State during the third inning Friday, April 24, 2015, at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.

Editor's Note: This is the third of a four-part series highlighting the best coaches and athletes at the University of Arkansas in 2015.

When Andrew Benintendi hit a solo home run to lead-off the fifth inning of Arkansas' season opener, he wasn't considered a home run hitter.

In fact, throughout his banner sophomore campaign, Benintendi never considered himself a power hitter despite hitting 20 home runs. The homers, he claimed, were the result of increased power and a sweet swing.

By the time Benintendi and the Razorbacks made it to the College World Series, he was the only one not focused on him hitting a home run. He finished the season with the NCAA lead in the category, easily hitting the most for an Arkansas player in the era of deadened bats.

He complemented the home runs with a .376 batting average, 57 RBIs, 24 stolen bases and an array of defensive highlights from his position in center field. All of that made him the consensus national player of the year during a season in which the MLB's two top draft picks came from his own conference.

Benintendi, a first-round pick himself, became Arkansas' first winner of the Golden Spikes Award and the first Razorbacks position player to be named SEC player of the year. In a calendar year that featured a plethora of impressive individual accomplishments at Arkansas, Benintendi stood out as the Razorbacks' best talent.

Other Notable Athletes

Hunter Henry, Football: Named Mackey Award winner as nation's best tight end. Caught 46 passes for 647 yards and three touchdowns during regular season.

Gabriela Lopez, Women's Golf: Tied for second in individual standings at the NCAA championship. Earned LPGA Tour card.

Omar McLeod, Men's Track: Hurdler won NCAA championships indoors and outdoors, and was part of NCAA champion relay team. Won at Jamaican national meet before turning pro.

Sandi Morris, Women's Track: Pole vaulter won two SEC championships and the NCAA title indoors. Finished NCAA runner-up outdoors and later was fourth at World Championships in Beijing.

Bobby Portis, Men's Basketball: SEC player of the year after averaging 17.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the NBA Draft.

Dominique Scott, Women's Track/Cross Country: Distance runner won two NCAA indoor championships. Won third SEC cross country championship and finished third at national meet.

More from WholeHogSports

http://www.wholehog…">Assistant Coach of the Year: Dan Enos

http://www.wholehog…">Newcomer of the Year: Dominique Reed

"I've coached some really good players, but if you're just talking all-around player that can play defense, can throw, is accurate, can run but also can steal bases, can hit for power, can hit for average, I would have to say I've never coached anybody better," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said.

"A lot of times you're one player away. He was like having two players because he was a great defender and a great hitter. He had such a presence at the plate that teams feared him a little bit."

Benintendi's power surprised many in 2015. He had only one home run the year before and had never hit more than 12 in a season at Madeira High School outside Cincinnati, where he was the national player of the year as a senior.

But he put on about 15 pounds between his freshman and sophomore seasons, and learned how to handle one pitch while anticipating another.

During one stretch, Benintendi reached base in 13 consecutive plate appearances and he had a 26-game streak of reaching base. He finished the year leading the SEC in five statistical categories including slugging percentage, on-base percentage and walks.

"He learned how to lay off pitches and that he didn't have to do so much," Van Horn said. "He walked 50 times and he struck out 20. That's a winning stat. If you can get a lineup with five or six guys that strike out the same amount or less than they walk, you're going to win."

Van Horn and hitting coach Tony Vitello generally receive the most praise for Benintendi's turnaround, but it was an unlikely source - Arkansas pitching coach Dave Jorn - who helped as much as anyone.

After a game in April 2014, Jorn pulled Benintendi aside to talk about how opposing pitchers were throwing to him. Benintendi was offering at too many balls away from the strike zone.

"My job is to watch hitters and get them out," Jorn said earlier this year. "You watch what they are doing. I could see what they were doing to him and I tried to help him.

"What I saw was a lot of motion in his stance and his swing. He was open and striding, and diving at the ball. There were a lot of pitches that were just eating him up."

The coaching staff suggested Benintendi open his stance at the plate. It helped him finish the year strong, but he ended the season with just a .276 batting average. That was motivation to come back better as a sophomore.

"He learned from the experience of the failure he had as a freshman, and he had never had to experience that," Van Horn said. "When Andrew came in here as a freshman, after a few fall practices I already knew he was starting...but he hurt his hand, had a hamstring injury, plus he was a freshman.

"I think his talent was ready to come out because of what he learned that year. The strength helped and knowing the league, but he came in here and you could just tell that he had turned the corner mentally. In the SEC, he dominated like he dominated in high school."