Health & Fitness
Benson Makes Major League Debut and More
JCA graduate Joe Benson makes his mark with Minnesota Twins, plus some sports shorts.
For the first time in his life, Joliet Catholic Academy baseball coach and diehard Cubs fan Jared Voss actually watched an entire White Sox game.
That’s because 2006 JCA graduate Joe Benson batted leadoff and played center field in his major-league debut with the Minnesota Twins. Even though the Sox won 3-0 Tuesday night, Benson walked in his first at-bat.
The Twins’ minor-league Player of the Year in 2010, Benson batted .285 with 14 stolen bases, 28 doubles, 4 triples, 16 homers and 67 RBIs for New Britain, the Twins’ Double-A team.
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A second-round pick out of JCA, Benson is the No. 5-ranked prospect for the Twins by mlb.com.
“We’ve had six guys in the past get a chance to play in the majors,” Voss said. “From my standpoint, the seventh is the first player I had the opportunity to coach, so I feel great pride and excitement.
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“It’s the same Joe, too. Watching him break up the double play, making a diving attempt in center for a catch, taking a swing on a 3-1 count … he still plays with his hair on fire. It was great to see.”
And about the White Sox?
“Yesterday was one of my best days as a coach,” Voss said, smiling. “And it’s the first time I’ve ever watched a Sox game from start to finish.”
Also going at JCA: The volleyball team won the Geneva Tournament for a sixth straight year and then beat Waubonsie Valley, the boys soccer team placed second at IMSA, and Naperville native Malin Jones is the topper of our football notebook. Go to www.jca-online.org and click on JCA In The News.
