In varsity sports, it is a rare occasion for a freshman athlete to make it on the varsity team in any sport.  Often, a freshman will be lucky to play on junior varsity, much more varsity. But against the odds, freshman Bennett Bishop, a freshman who moved from Philadelphia, has verbally committed to play Division I baseball at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. 

From a young age, Bishop was shown the benefits of various sports by his father. 

“Growing up in Philadelphia, my dad and I would often hop the subways to go to Phillies games,” said Bishop. “Even as a five-year-old, I remember the atmosphere at the stadium being electric.” 

Bishop started playing little league in Philadelphia, and his father was one of his first coaches. Bishop progressed to playing travel baseball, and when he was in the 8th grade, he was invited to join a baseball program with two top 10 nationally ranked teams. 

“This experience allowed me to play against some of the top youth players in the country, gain exposure to colleges, and make lots of valuable connections,” said Bishop. “It was really when college programs started to notice me and consider me as a possible fit for their teams.”

From this college exposure, further opportunities were presented to Bishop, and he was invited to attend a prospect camp at Duke University. 

“The facilities and resources were top notch, similar to the other great programs and schools, but what was really different about Duke for me was the coaching staff, and the student-athletes I got to meet,” said Bishop.

Head Coach Chris Pollard and his staff emphasize their athlete’s commitment to excellence in the field and classroom, and also in the community. They seek to teach their student-athletes how to constantly pursue improvement, academically and athletically.

“That is what really influenced me to want to join their program rather than others,” said Bishop.

When developing an athlete, it takes many people to pour time, commitment, and hard work into that athlete. 

“There are many people that can be thanked for my commitment, with the most obvious being my parents, teammates, and coaches,” said Bishop. “My pitching coach Brian Hunter, who played professionally in the Cincinnati Reds organization, is one of the people who has really helped me boost my abilities over the last couple of years.”

For more information about Duke’s Baseball faculty and athletics, which Bishop has committed to, go to https://goduke.com/sports/baseball.