Smith (left) and Benke (right) were each inducted into their respective hometown Hall of Fame
Huskies Baseball alumni Smith and Benke inducted into hometown hall of fames
10/12/2022 4:45:00 PM | Baseball
Smith (Willmar) and Benke (Roseau) played together at SCSU in the early 2010s
St. Cloud, Minn. – St. Cloud State Baseball alumni Jordan Smith and Joey Benke have each been inducted into their respective hometown hall of fames.
A Willmar native, Jordan Smith was honored in the Cardinal Pride Athletic Hall of Fame in late September. Joey Benke was inducted into the Roseau Athletic Hall of Fame on October 9.
"Wow, did these two guys ever make coaching easy," said St. Cloud State head coach Pat Dolan, "Not only are they two of the best players I've ever coached – but they're also two of the best teammates and hardest workers."
Smith earned multiple All-State honors as a three-sport star at Willmar High School, going on to play collegiately with SCSU. The All-American earned Regional MVP and NSIC Player of the Year honors before being selected in the ninth round of the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft by Cleveland.
"I will always cherish my time at SCSU!" said Smith, "It was truly some of greatest memories of my baseball career! I was blessed with incredible teammates and coaches that constantly displayed a team-first approach. I will never forget walking onto campus and meeting all the seniors, instantly knowing that this was a culture I wanted to be a part of. The seniors took us under their wings and made it known that we all had a role on the team – and that it was time to get to work! It has been a ton of fun to keep in touch with and create lifelong relationships with my teammates and coaches from SCSU!"
"You knew from day one Jordan was going to be the best player on the field every day," said Dolan, "Even so he was so humble about his business and spent so much time helping our younger players develop."
Benke starred at Roseau High School before beginning his collegiate career at St. Cloud State, serving as a two-year captain and earning three straight NSIC All-Tournament Team honors. He graduated as the Huskies' career leader in hits, runs, doubles, triples, RBI, total bases and walks drawn.
"My time playing baseball for St. Cloud State were some of the best years of my life," said Benke, "Playing for the Huskies is where I was able to develop and take my skills to another level. All of the individual accolades are nice, but it was the success of the team that was important to me. Coaches and teammates I played with have turned into lifelong friends and the memories we shared from our playing days will last forever."
"There's no doubt in my mind that Joey would have been drafted if he hadn't banged up his thumb in his last year with us," Dolan said, "His leadership and grit were there for us every single day – I'll never forget the walk-off upper-deck home run he hit in the Metrodome that had to go close to 500 feet!"
Smith currently coaches in the Cleveland Guardians organization while Benke is a decorated police officer in Bismarck.
A Willmar native, Jordan Smith was honored in the Cardinal Pride Athletic Hall of Fame in late September. Joey Benke was inducted into the Roseau Athletic Hall of Fame on October 9.
"Wow, did these two guys ever make coaching easy," said St. Cloud State head coach Pat Dolan, "Not only are they two of the best players I've ever coached – but they're also two of the best teammates and hardest workers."
Smith earned multiple All-State honors as a three-sport star at Willmar High School, going on to play collegiately with SCSU. The All-American earned Regional MVP and NSIC Player of the Year honors before being selected in the ninth round of the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft by Cleveland.
"I will always cherish my time at SCSU!" said Smith, "It was truly some of greatest memories of my baseball career! I was blessed with incredible teammates and coaches that constantly displayed a team-first approach. I will never forget walking onto campus and meeting all the seniors, instantly knowing that this was a culture I wanted to be a part of. The seniors took us under their wings and made it known that we all had a role on the team – and that it was time to get to work! It has been a ton of fun to keep in touch with and create lifelong relationships with my teammates and coaches from SCSU!"
"You knew from day one Jordan was going to be the best player on the field every day," said Dolan, "Even so he was so humble about his business and spent so much time helping our younger players develop."
Benke starred at Roseau High School before beginning his collegiate career at St. Cloud State, serving as a two-year captain and earning three straight NSIC All-Tournament Team honors. He graduated as the Huskies' career leader in hits, runs, doubles, triples, RBI, total bases and walks drawn.
"My time playing baseball for St. Cloud State were some of the best years of my life," said Benke, "Playing for the Huskies is where I was able to develop and take my skills to another level. All of the individual accolades are nice, but it was the success of the team that was important to me. Coaches and teammates I played with have turned into lifelong friends and the memories we shared from our playing days will last forever."
"There's no doubt in my mind that Joey would have been drafted if he hadn't banged up his thumb in his last year with us," Dolan said, "His leadership and grit were there for us every single day – I'll never forget the walk-off upper-deck home run he hit in the Metrodome that had to go close to 500 feet!"
Smith currently coaches in the Cleveland Guardians organization while Benke is a decorated police officer in Bismarck.
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