Centre College Athletics Photo
Ben Prather was the Southern Athletic Association Newcomer of the Year in 2023 when he hit. 373 with 32 RBI’s and won six games as Centre’s No. 2 starter when he was not playing third base.
However, Prather started this season in an even more spectacular fashion when he tied a school record by driving in eight runs in a win over Wilmington. In the three-game series, he went 6-for-10 at the plate with two doubles, three triples, eight runs scored and 10 RBI’s. He was also the winning pitcher in game two.
“It was crazy to knock in that many runs but it all started with my teammates getting on base,” Prather, a Lexington Lafayette High School graduate, said. “I don’t think I ever had more than five or six (RBI’s) in a game but that was with a home run or two. This time I was just hitting the ball in the gaps.”
The sophomore’s play helped Centre get off to a 15-5 start, including winning two of three games at Rhodes to open conference play. He hit .378 in those 20 games with a team-high 28 RBIs and went 4-1 on the mound giving up only 22 hits and four runs in 32 innings. He has struck out a team-high 35, walked eight and has not allowed a home run to compile a 1.69 earned run average in his five starts.
Prather credited Centre’s impressive start “100 percent” to the team’s exhibition trip to the Dominican Republic this winter.
“After that trip our team chemistry was so good. We have never been so close,” Prather said. “We have had some freshmen step up, our bats were hot, we got great arms (on the mound) and we have great chemistry.”
Prather didn’t feel any pressure himself despite becoming the first Centre player to win a major conference award since 2016.
“I don’t like to think back on past achievements,” Prather said. “I just go out and play.”
He admits sometimes it is hard to pitch the second game of a doubleheader as the No. 2 starter normally does after playing third base in the opening game.
“You learn to lock in but also how to save energy in the first game so physically you are not too tired to pitch the second game,” Prather said. “I have a new pitch this year and more confidence.
“I have a good guy (sophomore Evan Weyler) behind the plate who really helps me. He has caught me every game for two years. He does a great job telling me what he sees and has had a big role in developing my pitches.”
Prather played both baseball and basketball in Lexington until his freshman year when he gave up basketball to have more time to develop his baseball skills.
“I had to figure out a lot on my own. I am a self motivator and know what gives me a lot of success. I know how and what to fix when I have how to fix something,” the Centre sophomore said.
He’s still not quite sure if he’s a hitter/position player who also pitches or a pitcher who also hits.
“I like hitting a little more but pitching has been really good for me this year and passed up my hitting this year,” Prather said. “During the season I have not really had any hitting slumps or down periods here. I have struggled with my swing in the fall and winter a lot but have been able to figure it out when I needed to. Pitching-wise, I’ve been pretty consistent. Last year I had a few outings where I was tired mentally and lost some competitive drive. I don’t want that to happen this year.”
Prather believes the Colonels can compete for the conference championship. The Colonels were 13-8 in conference play in 2023 but are 4-2 this season going into a three-game set with Oglethorpe this weekend in Danville.
“We have a high energy, high intensity team this year and I think this is really going to be a fun year,” he said.
Prather said Centre’s new athletics indoor training facility also is a big benefit this season.
“We got on the turf in there during the winter to work on defense and did some long toss (throwing). The gym has plenty of (weight) racks for us all,” he said. “We have plenty of space and don’t have to wait for equipment. It really helps with our training and I think that is going to really pay off for us this year.”
