Trials lead to college commitment
Calhoun’s King overcomes adversity, commits to GT
In July of 2017, Ben King — a 6-foot-3, 215-pound righthand pitcher from Calhoun — began to rehab an elbow injury that had cost him his entire sophomore season. One of the most critical seasons for a high school baseball prospect in terms of recruiting was lost. Unsure of where the road would lead, he forged ahead.
One year to the day his rehab began, on July 1, 2018, King received an offer to play baseball for Georgia Tech. He verbally committed to the Jackets the next day.
“It’s crazy how God works,” King said. “I realized how well I came back ( from the injury) and I’m so grateful for how I’ve been able to perform. And for it to happen on that day, it was just really crazy and awesome. I knew everything happens for a reason.”
King is the 16th player, and seventh pitcher, to commit to the Jackets’ ’19 signing class according to Perfect Game. In addition to pitching for Calhoun, he plays summer ball with the East Cobb Yankees, which played a vital role in him being discovered by Georgia Tech. In 14 games for Calhoun, King logged 51.2 innings and had an 8-1 record and two saves to go with a 1.08 ERA and 70 strikeouts to just 24 walks.
Though his future in college baseball is now clear, until as recently as a year ago it wasn’t that way. In January of 2017, he had UCL reconstruction surgery. Not only did he miss his sophomore season with Calhoun, but he couldn’t pitch in summer league either.
It was a trying time for King, but guided by his faith, he turned it into a positive.
“Initially, it was pretty crushing for me,” King said. “I wasn’t just worried about the recruiting process, I was worried about ever pitching again at any level. But that injury, to be honest, if I could change it, I wouldn’t because it taught me so much about life. There’s so much more than baseball, and I’m grateful that every day God allows me to play because I know it can easily be taken away.”
As he worked through his injury, he decided to share his story. In October, he took up public speaking during the Fields of Faith 2017 event hosted in conjunction with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He had a message for the audience that had also resonated within himself.
“Being injured allowed me to realize that God is always going to be with me no matter what happens,” he said. “His plan is bigger than mine.”
Fully recovered from his injury, King pitched an injuryfree junior season but still lacked an offer to play baseball. That would change in the offseason, however, when in early May, he tried out for the East Cobb Yankees at Lassiter. King secured a roster spot and then, later that month during a pitching session with the team, his relationship with the Jackets began when pitching coach Jason Howell visited. See 2C