Ben Grisham

Position:
of/rhp
Ht./Wt.:
5-10 / 177
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Senatobia, Miss.
Prev School:
Mississippi State

Outlook for 2007: 2007 Co-captain...Has taken on a major leadership role with the Tigers' program...Will be a significant factor in the outfield and on the mound...Probable starter in right field and will get early looks out of the Tigers' bullpen as a go-to guy with the game on the line.

2006 (Junior): One of two Tigers who saw action as dual position players in 2006...Hit .248 at the plate and posted a 5.35 ERA on the mound...Made 39 starts in 41 games in rightfield...Stroked seven doubles and six home runs...Drove in 28 runs...Had nine multi-hit games...Recorded five games in which he drove in two or more runs...Went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, a run scored and picked up the save in a 9-7 win over UT-Martin (2/28/06)...Homered in back-to-back games three times...Was 2-for-4 with a home runs and four RBI vs. Mississippi Valley (4/29/06)...Served as a relief pitcher and midweek starter until breaking into the weekend rotation for the final month of the Conference USA schedule...Appeared in 11 games as a pitcher...Struck out 26 in 38.2 innings of work...As a pitcher, started in six games, recording a 7.23 ERA and a 1-1 mark as a starter...Memphis was 5-1 in games started by Grisham...Was 0-1 despite a 2.40 ERA in five appearances as a reliever...Picked up his first collegiate win at UCF after giving up a pair of unearned runs and fanning five in six innings...Made one save on the year...Allowed just two runs and struck out five in a season-long 6.2 inning appearance in a 16-inning marathon at Houston (4/23/06).

Mississippi State: Hit .294 (5-for-17) in a reserve role as a sophomore at MSU...Made just three starts in 19 appearances...Scored eight runs and posted three RBI...Saw 1.0 inning on the mound...Held the opponent scoreless in his only outing of the year...Hit .310 and made four starts in his two-year career at Mississippi State...2004: Played in 17 games, seeing time as a backup in rightfield, leftfield, third base, as a pinch-hitter and pinch-runner...Recorded his first career hit and run against Tennessee Tech (3/6/04)...Ripped his first career-extra base hit vs. #1 LSU (3/27/04)...Posted a .333 batting average as a redshirt freshman...2003: Redshirted.

Prep: Was a two-sport standout as a prepster at Senatobia High School...Earned three letters on the gridiron and four on the baseball diamond...Earned all-district recognition as a punter and served as team captain in his senior season...On the baseball field, Grisham was a three-year starter for the Warriors...Led SHS to a 26-11 record and the 2002 Mississippi Class 3A state title...Helped Senatobia High to three-consecutive district crowns and was an all-district selection as a junior...Led SHS with a .444 average, 43 RBI, 12 doubles, eight homers and three triples en route to garnering all-state honors in his senior campaign...Also excelled on the mound, recording a 12-4 mark with 125 strikeouts in just 106.2 innings of work...Finished his high school career with a .465 batting average, 95 RBI, 32 doubles and 20 home runs.

Personal: Full name is Benjamin O'Neal Grisham...Son of Ken and Cheryl Grisham...One of four four-year transfers to join the Tigers for the 2006 season...Was a featured athlete in Baseball America's "Transfer Travails" article in January 2005...Was the valedictorian of his senior class and served as president of the Senatobia High School Student Government Association...Majoring in health and human performance.