Kent State’s Ben Klafczynski is a straight shooter—on the diamond and in life

They’re the kinds of setbacks that discourage even the best.

Injuries, struggles, being overlooked: They can all remind a hitter of the seven out of 10 times he fails, rather than the three in which he succeeds.

Things were looking up going into the 2007 draft. Ranked a top-100 high school prospect by Baseball America, Klafczynski’s stock rose as he turned his natural athleticism and full-extension, left-handed swing into big production. He hit an unparalleled .613 with 12 home runs and led Highland (Medina, Ohio) High School to its first regional final in program history. A right-handed thrower, his high-80s, low-90s fastball saved several games, whether on the mound or uncorking throws from centerfield. This after turning in another All-Ohio season dominating the low post on the basketball court.

Scouts from more than a dozen teams came calling, as the 6-2, 195-pound Klafczynski earned a first-team Louisville Slugger All-American Award. Hopes were high. But the amateur draft came and went without Klafczynski’s name being called.

“A lot of the scouts were very up front with what they thought of me and where they wanted to draft you, and I was up front about my future,” said Klafczynski, who had signaled the sort of offer it would take to persuade him to forego college. “It was a good experience—not many people get experience talking contracts with scouts. They told me I was headed in the right direction and with some more hard work and good luck, I can get drafted.”

The humble 19-year-old has taken that advice onto his next challenge. Klafczynski impressed the Kent State coaching staff with his batting in fall workouts, and they have been pleased with his improved use of all fields.

Depending on the strides he makes offensively and defensively—as he auditions for the corner outfield positions—he is expected to play an important role in the Kent State offense once the season begins Feb. 22.

“We feel like his left-handed bat is going to play a lot,” head coach Scott Stricklin said. “As we get into the heart of the season, he needs to be a guy who contributes offensively for us. Whether in the outfield, as a DH, or as a late-inning pinch hitter, he’s going to get the chance to contribute. And I think he’s got a chance to be a great hitter for us.”

It’s that opportunity to improve and make an immediate impact that drove Klafczynski to stay in his home state, where he says his parents and coaches always have put him in a position to succeed.

He doesn’t set statistical standards. “As part of accepting failure, you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

But his personal goal is to break into the starting lineup, while leading the Golden Flashes to their second straight MAC championship.

“It was a big decision for me whether I wanted to go south or stay here. A lot of schools that recruited me had great facilities, but it came down to Kent State having great coaches that really know the game,” said the Sports Administration major. “I didn’t really need to go down south to get a good college baseball experience.

“Going into my senior year, I felt I knew a lot about baseball, but I get to college and realize that I really didn’t know anything.”

As impressive as his high-school numbers and accolades were, it was Klafczynski’s pure athleticism that turned recruiters’ heads. His father, Ray, recounted stories of him climbing out of his crib as an infant and the right-hander’s ability to take up a lefty swing as a toddler.

With a 44-inch running vertical leap and above-average speed, the two-sport star covers a lot of ground ... and air.

“The first time we heard of Ben was when we got a highlight tape of him from high school,” Stricklin said. “It featured him hitting and also on the basketball floor. What stood out was his athletic ability—he was dunking basketballs backwards; he hit his head on the backboard blocking a shot. That athleticism was eye-popping, and obviously his left-handed swing with a lot of power was intriguing.

“Now, we’re working to improve his baseball instincts,” he added. “He’s a hard worker: he shows up early and leaves late. His baseball IQ has gone up a whole lot.”

It was on the basketball court that Klafczynski had to overcome one of his more serious setbacks. Just days away from the 2006 World Wood Bat Association World Championship, the two-sport athlete fractured his wrist when he was undercut in a basketball scrimmage.

“I wasn’t going to be able to swing a bat. It was a big disappointment to miss a good showcase with a lot of scouts,” Klafczynski said. “But it was also good timing because it was early enough in the season that I could fully recover in time for baseball.”

He not only would return fully rehabbed from the injury, but he also refused to shy away from the basketball court. He came back as a two-way threat on the hardwood and then to the diamond as a more balanced hitter. The latter adjustment to make more contact and reduce his strikeouts was one Klafczynski had started making his junior season.

But it was in his senior year that it all paid off for him, with improved numbers in every category.

“I tried to become a more contact hitter, but I think I struggled because I was thinking about the changes too much,” said Klafczynski, who practices with a wood bat to force him to concentrate on the sweet spot. “Going into my senior year, I had confidence in the changes I was going to make. I had a lot more confidence, a better approach at the plate, and the more experience and reps you get, the better you become.”

Go ahead and throw a curveball at him. He’ll be happy to take as many cracks as he can.