#19 Ben Wilmes Season 2023-24

2024

• Appeared in 48 games, including 37 starts.
• Batted .273 with 39 hits in 143 at-bats.
• Had a career-high five home runs and 25 RBIs.
• Went 3-3 with a double and three runs scored against Florida International on May 18th.
• Went 2-3 with a home run and 4 RBIs versus Illinois on May 11th.

2023

• Appeared in 51 games, including 42 starts.
• Had a .247 batting average in 150 at-bats.
• Recorded 10 extra base hits, including three home runs.
• Drove in 24 runs.
• Eight multi-hit games.
• Career high three RBIs against Western Michigan on March 25th.
• Matched a career-high with two doubles at Northwestern on May 19th.
• Went 2-4 with a home run and two RBIs against Michigan State on May 13th.
• Drew 40 walks — good for second on the team.

2022 Honors

• Named to the Dean’s List during the fall semester
• Started 21 games — seven at second base, eight at third base and six in left field — and appeared in 33 contests
• Hit .234 (18-of-72) with 23 runs and 15 RBIs
• Hit .364 (4-of-11) with six runs against Indiana (5/19-21)
• Went 3-for-4 with four runs and two RBIs in series opener against Hoosiers (5/19)
• Drove in four runs during the Purdue series (5/6-8)
• Went 1-for-3 with two RBIs in game one and 1-for-4 with two RBIs in game three
• Hit .429 (3-of-7) with three runs and two RBIs against Minnesota (4/15-17)
• Tallied his first career multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBIs in series finale against the Gophers (4/17)
• Went 1-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs in road win at Milwaukee (4/12)
• Had his first extra base hit — a double — in game two against Illinois (4/9)
• Went 1-for-2 with a run and steal against St. Thomas (3/21)
• Made his first career start against Cornell College (3/2), finishing 1-for-3 with a run and RBI — his firsts in all three categories
• Made his Hawkeye debut against Ball State (2/19).

High School

• Ranked as a top-500 player nationally by Perfect Game
• Rated as the ninth-best player in Iowa by Prep Baseball Report
• Three-time all-state honoree, earning first-team honors as a junior and senior and second-team honors as a sophomore
• Des Moines Register all-Iowa Elite Team and first-team Class 4A selection as a senior
• Three-time all-conference and all-district selection
• Only freshman on varsity in 2018, starting 36 of 42 games
• Holds single season school records for runs scored (75), which are the most in Class 4A history
• Also has records for single season doubles (20), steals (35) and on-base percentage (.605)
• Holds career records for runs scored (204) and steals (67)
• Led team to four state tournament appearances, including a 2020 state title and runner-up finishes in 2019 and 2021
• Team won four straight conference titles from 2018-2021
• Hit .478 as a senior with a .836 slugging and .605 on-base percentage
• Had 20 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 75 runs, 20 hit by pitch, and 35 steals in 44 games as a senior
• Had a .427 average with six doubles, 18 walks, 15 hit by pitch, 13 steals and a .962 fielding percentage as a junior
• Had a .378 average with five doubles, 18 walks and 17 HBP as a sophomore and a .381 average with a .486 OBP as a freshman
• Played for Iowa Sticks from 2011-2020
• Led team to 2019 PBR Fall Midwest championship
• Three-time All-Academic Award selection
• Also lettered in basketball and track and field
• High school coach was Michael Barta

Personal

• Born Nov. 25, 2002, in Des Moines, Iowa
• Son of Alan and Andrea Wilmes
• Has three older siblings, Abbey, Bailey and Brooke
• Parents played collegiate baseball and softball at Grand View
• Abbey played collegiate softball at Grand View, Brooke played collegiate soccer at Simpson College and Brooke played collegiate softball at the University of Missouri
• Grandfather, Lou Yacinich, is the head coach at Grand View
• High school teammate of fellow Hawkeyes Peyton Williams and Cade Moss
• Majoring in sport and recreation management