Baseball: Hartford accepts new role to help Kingsmen

By BROCK DONAT

In three seasons for Penn baseball, Bennett Hartford has been a hot bat and a lock-down third baseman. And now for the first time, he is being asked to help out the Kingsmen bullpen.

The Kingsmen lost 11 valuable seniors last year, who led the team to a very successful season. With this, all hands are on deck, meaning players are being put into unfamiliar positions.

So far, through the beginning of the pre-season, Hartford has said that he has enjoyed pitching and competing with his teammates and helping the team in a new way. He said the hardest part is being able to take care of his arm and still being able to get reps at his main
position, third base. This is where he shows why he has been such an asset to the Kingsmen.

Last season, Hartford crafted a .365 batting average, with a slugging percentage of .531. He belted five doubles, four triples, and unleashed one monumental home run to walk off a 12-inning game against the Elkhart Lions.

The future is looking bright for Hartford, as before his senior season, he committed to Hillsdale College. Bennet will be looking to play 3rd base for the Chargers. This is not an accident, as Bennet has shown his value throughout his high school career.

“Bennett is an amazing player, paired with his incredible work ethic and outstanding leadership,” Kingsmen pitcher Cayden Stockbridge said. “He will be one of our key players on the team and will make a huge impact for us this year.”