Above photo of Riley Bender by Bob Sanford
UMHB infielder Riley Bender has been selected as a starter for Wednesday’s Texas Collegiate League (TCL) All-Star Game after a strong start to his second season with the Victoria Generals. The Kingwood, Texas native will be the starting third baseman for Team Texas in the matchup against Team Louisiana, which will be played at 6:45 p.m. CT in Seguin. Bender is the only Division III player starting for Team Texas.
Through 22 games this summer, Bender is hitting .264 with 19 RBI, six doubles, and 11 runs scored, with his RBI total leading the league. He hit safely in the final three games of the first half of the season, including a 2-for-6, 3-RBI stat line in a June 27 win. In the field, Bender has a .934 fielding percentage with 14 putouts.
The 6-3, 220-pound Bender began his time in the summer league with a six-game hitting streak, going 2-for-5 in his first two starts. His third game saw Bender swat a 3-run home run in the eighth inning of a 10-1 win over Baton Rouge, as he continued making an early impact for the Generals. The multi-hit performances kept coming as the month of June unfolded, with Bender tallying six games of at least two hits between June 4 and June 18.
After transferring to UMHB from Division I Abilene Christian, Bender hit .308 in 28 starts for The Cru this past spring. His 21 runs scored were the sixth-most on the team, and his 26 RBI tied for second amongst UMHB batters. Notably, Bender tied the program’s single-game home run record on March 13 against Whittier, hitting three homers as part of a 4-for-5, 4-RBI day at the plate.
