In the heat of the battle, there’s little doubt who the McCurtain Bulldogs want standing on the mound ready to deliver the game winning pitch. Bond…Ben Bond.

“Every coach wants a player like Ben in that situation,” said head coach Mike Mills. “I know he’s always going to be ready and he knows how to handle any situation.”

For the junior righthander, it’s all about trusting the process.

“Confidence is the key. You have to know in your mind that your gonna get the next dude out.”

Ben’s process is something that began at age three when he first started playing baseball as a member of the McCurtain Pups joined by current day teammates Korey Lovell and Zane Cooper.

“All of my success is the result of hard work and having a good mental mindset; something I learned from the everyday influence of my dad,” Ben said with appreciation. “He’s taught me so much about baseball and about life. Dad never played sports but since he taught me to work hard that’s all he needed to teach me to help me find my success in baseball.”

Tabbed by his coach as “that guy his teammates rely upon”, Ben understands what is required to be a leader

“You don’t tell people what to do, you have to show them and let them decide to follow. I just try to help everyone I can and show them how to do stuff the right way.”

While baseball is his main game and his favorite player is Hall of Famer pitcher Nolan Ryan, Ben is active in FFA, BPA (Business Professionals of America) and FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and eagerly embraces the everyday challenges in the real world.

“Sometimes it’s not gonna go the way you want it to go but you just have to get up and keep working hard, just keep going. You can’t stop. I have too many people relying on me to ever give up.”

On the baseball diamond and in everyday life, Ben Bond continues to make the right pitch giving himself and his teammates another opportunity to win.