By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com
Photo courtesy of Northwest Community College.
Future Ole Miss baseball player Ben Van Cleve was named an NJCAA Second Team All-American on Tuesday after a dominant performance on the diamond for the Northwest Rangers.
In his sophomore season, Van Cleve pounded the ball with a .593 average in the month of May that helped guide the Rangers to a 33-win season and No. 9 final ranking. The Indianola native led Northwest at the plate with a .375 clip, 60 hits, 13 doubles, 14 home runs, 47 RBIs, 115 total bases and a .719 slugging percentage on the season.
In his first year on the Northwest campus, the first baseman had a .306 average with eight doubles, eight home runs, 28 RBIs and 34 runs scored.
Van Cleve started all 91 games of his two-year career in Senatobia, helping the Rangers to a combined 63-28 record, back-to-back 20-win seasons in conference play and national ranking.
He is the 16th NJCAA All-American selection in program history and first Ranger since 2014 to earn college baseball’s highest honor.
