Ezekiel Benton '22 Recruiting Profile

To: Potential Baseball Coaches

From: Zeke Benton, 2022

People always write essays about overcoming obstacles, but the truth is everyone graduating in 2022 overcame huge obstacles, trying to play and learn in a Covid world.  It wasn't easy for any of us.  I lost my best friend to suicide during Covid and had just transferred to Eunice Schools, after spending my entire life in Hobbs, playing at a 5A school.  But it was Eunice High School that saved me.

I was performing athletically, but I struggled academically in the large environment at Hobbs (the largest high school in New Mexico).  To be honest, I didn't have the best influences in my friend group, and my parents noticed.  I transferred to Eunice in the middle of my sophomore  year, then Covid hit.  No baseball season for 2019 and I homeschooled for the first time in my life, just like most of the world.  We made it through and to my surprise, I was welcomed at Eunice with open arms.  Teachers were looking out for me and always encouraging me to be better, helping me more than they ever had to.  Coaches cared about my life, both on and off the field.  I had a second family right from the start.

My grades do reflect the struggles I had before transferring to Eunice, and I had/have a hard road ahead to make up classes and grades that followed me.  But everyone has been on my side and the support and improvements I made were reflected on the field.  We won state in football in 2020 and 2021 and I made all-state. We were state runners-up in baseball in 2020, where I again was named to the all-state team.  We are on track to win state this year, as we are undefeated at the time of this essay.   

I can be an asset to any team.  I am the starting shortstop, and pitcher, but I can also be an attribute in any position.  I can play any position in the field and bring a solid pitching variety to your game.  I am no stranger to challenges and I am excited to play at any junior college or university for at least the next two years, hopefully more.  I hope you will consider me when building your roster, and take into consideration what I have overcome and what I have to offer. 

Sincerely, 

Zeke Benton, Eunice Cardinal 2022