FAYETTEVILLE -- Ole Miss Coach Mike Bianco said he usually stops paying attention to how the opposing players are doing after the Rebels are finished playing a team.
But Arkansas center fielder Andrew Benintendi made a lasting impression on Bianco when facing the Rebels in the third SEC series this season, almost two months ago.
All-SEC baseball
FIRST TEAM
C Kade Scivicque, LSU
1B Kyle Martin, South Carolina
2B JaVon Shelby, Kentucky
3B Conner Hale, LSU
SS Alex Bregman, LSU
OF Andrew Benintendi, Arkansas
OF Andrew Stevenson, LSU
OF Christin Stewart, Tennessee
DH/UT Mitchell Nau, Texas A&M
SP Carson Fulmer, Vanderbilt
SP Alex Lange, LSU
RP Zach Jackson, Arkansas
SECOND TEAM
C Mike Rivera, Florida
1B Chris Chinea, LSU
2B Max Schrock, South Carolina
3B Josh Tobias, Florida
SS Dansby Swanson, Vanderbilt
OF Kyle Barrett, Kentucky
OF Nick Banks, Texas A&M
OF Logan Taylor, Texas A&M
DH/UT JJ Schwarz, Florida
SP Grayson Long, Texas A&M
SP Cole Lipscomb, Auburn
*RP Breckin Williams, Missouri
*RP Wyatt Short, Ole Miss
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
C Mike Rivera, Florida
1B Evan White, Kentucky
2B Dalton Guthrie, Florida
3B Will Toffey, Vanderbilt
SS Ryan Gridley, Mississippi State
OF Keegan McGovern, Georgia
OF Trey Harris, Missouri
OF Jeren Kendall, Vanderbilt
DH/UT JJ Schwarz, Florida
SP Tanner Houck, Missouri
SP Keaton McKinney, Arkansas
RP Kyle Wright, Vanderbilt
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
C Kade Scivicque, LSU
1B Evan White, Kentucky
2B Kyle Overstreet, Alabama
3B Bobby Wernes, Arkansas
SS Alex Bregman, LSU
OF Andrew Stevenson, LSU
OF Mark Laird, LSU
OF Buddy Reed, Florida
P Carson Fulmer, Vanderbilt
*Denotes a tie in voting. Ties are not broken.
"He's had a such a spectacular year it's hard not to see what kind of year he's had," Bianco said. "It's one of the best years that I've seen."
Benintendi, who leads the SEC with a .415 batting average and 17 home runs to go along with 51 runs batted in and 53 runs, was announced Monday as the coaches' choice for SEC Player of the Year.
Benintendi, a sophomore from Cincinnati, is the Razorbacks' first SEC Player of the Year in baseball since Arkansas joined the conference for the 1992 season.
Arkansas' last conference player of the year was relief pitcher Phillip Stidam, the Southwest Conference Player of the Year in 1990 when he had 11 saves and Arkansas won the SWC championship.
Other Razorbacks honored were sophomore Zach Jackson, the All-SEC first-team relief pitcher; junior third baseman Bobby Wernes, who made the all-defensive team; and starting pitcher Keaton McKinney, who made the all-freshman team.
Benintendi has been at his best against SEC opponents, batting .443 in 29 conference games with 8 home runs, 21 RBI and 26 runs.
"It's been such a fun year as a coach to watch him develop, just watch him play," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "He's done a great job of just getting better as the year goes on, and that's what a lot of the great ones do.
"They kind of get heated up, and that's what he's done."
Tennessee Coach Dave Serrano, whose Vols play Arkansas tonight in the SEC Tournament, called Benintendi a "superstar."
Benintendi went 6 for 7 with a home run and two doubles in two games against Tennessee in the teams' regular-season series.
"I'd seen all the numbers coming onto the series when we played out there, and then to watch him perform in a game like he did, it'a amazing," Serrano said. "I went home thinking that he's probably the best player in college baseball right now.
"He's got balance at the plate. He'll hit the ball to all fields. He's got power. He's a good athlete, he's a good center fielder."
Benintendi has committed one error and has a .988 fielding percentage. He has stolen 21 bases in 25 attempts, including 13 of 14 in SEC games.
"When you go through this league and put up the numbers he did, you're something special," Alabama Coach Mitch Gaspard said. "You look at his home run numbers, and those jump out, but he's a five-tool guy.
"He's the guy that you're going to circle on your lineup card every time you play Arkansas, I can tell you that."
Benintendi helped the Razorbaks finish 17-12 in the SEC after a 1-5 start.
"His success has translated into team success," Serrano said. "I think they go off of what he does."
Considering how well Benintendi hit Tennessee's pitchers in the series at Arkansas, it will be interesting to see how Vols starter Andy Cox approaches him in tonight's game.
Tennessee's Serrano said the Vols can't afford to shy away from him.
"We'll do everything possible to not allow him to beat us, but good players find a way to do that," Serrano said.
Benintendi has at least one hit in 24 of his past 26 games and a 10-game hitting streak going into the SEC Tournament. He has reached base in 41 of his past 59 plate appearances and hasn't struck out in the past 11 games covering 46 at-bats.
Walking 37 times has boosted Benintendi's on-base percentage to .511.
Benintendi batted .276 last season with 1 home run and 27 RBI.
"Maybe a lot of people didn't know about him early," Van Horn said. "Once they realized how good he was and the scouting reports were out, he still maintained that high level of play, whether it was running the bases or making a play in the outfield, but especially at the plate.
"Opposing teams have been as tough as they can pitching around him. I've seen him hit some balls the other way as hard as I've ever seen hit, because he knows what's going on up there.
"He knows they're pitching him away and they're not giving in and he takes what they give him."
Benintendi, 5-10, spent last summer lifting weights instead of playing baseball and added 15 pounds to bulk up to 180.
"I'm just very impressed with how hard he must have worked in the offseason," Auburn Coach Sunny Golloway said. "Getting stronger was a key for him, and I'm sure after the season he had, there's going to be a lot of guys on my bus saying, 'Hey, I need to stay home and get stronger.' "
Sports on 05/19/2015