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People SearchFind an individual who either played a sport or was a member of a support group. Search by last name by clicking on the first letter of the person's last name.
Mr. Tyler Benzel
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Home Phone: -- Baseball: Benzel confirms transfer Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • May 28, 2009 After playing two years for UL’s baseball team, third baseman Tyler Benzel has decided to make a change. Benzel, a sophomore from Florida, told theadvertiser.com on Wednesday night that he will transfer to an NCAA Division II school closer to home for his final two years of eligibility. He has received permission to speak with coaches at Florida Southern and the University of Tampa – two schools located about two hours from Benzel’s home in Groveland. Since he is transferring down from the NCAA Division I ranks, Benzel will be eligible to play in 2010. The news was first reported at theadvertiser.com. “I just feel like it’s time for a change and that I need to be somewhere else to play baseball,” said Benzel, who like all UL players had an exit interview earlier this week with head coach Tony Robichaux. “Coach Robe and I had a good talk, and everything was professional. “It’s just time for me to move on to another chapter in my life.” In two years at UL, Benzel battled injuries but still started 58 of the 73 games he played and hit a combined .244 with 10 doubles for the Cajuns. Benzel hit .258 with one homer and 15 RBIs and committed 14 errors as a freshman. As a sophomore his batting average dipped to .229 this past season, but he did not make an error in the field and started 22 of 32 games. Benzel said he has already been contacted by Florida Southern, whose head coach Jim Tyrrell previously spent three years as Marist College’s pitching coach under former UL assistant and current University of Kansas assistant John Szefc. Florida Southern (41-16) was ranked eighth in the final Collegiate Baseball national poll after finishing as the Sunshine State Conference and NCAA Division II South Regional runner-up this past season. In 2005, the Moccasins won the NCAA Division II national title. Rob Dibble played college ball at FSU before spending seven years as a closer in the Major Leagues. The University of Tampa (39-17) was 27th in the final national poll this year and advanced to the NCAA Division II South Regional. Former big league players Lou Piniella and Tino Martinez once played for the Spartans. Benzel said both programs will evaluate him in the upcoming months as he plays for the Clermont Mavericks in the Florida Collegiate Summer League. “I didn’t think sitting out next year would be a good idea,” Benzel said of transferring to a lower-level school. “I want to play baseball next year. I know both schools have very good track records. They’re going to watch me play this summer. “They lose players to the draft every year, so they’ll have to wait until after the draft to see how much money they have available for scholarships.” Robichaux said he supports Benzel as he takes the next step in his collegiate baseball career. “You don’t ever want to lose anybody, but you have to give every player a chance to do what they feel comfortable doing,” Robichaux said. “We wish him success and good luck as he makes the transition in going closer to home. “This is something he wants to do, and we support his decision.” Benzel was a scholarship player at UL and leaves with a 3.0 grade-point average. The departure of a student-athlete would normally have a negative effect on the team’s Academic Progress Rate score. The NCAA, though, has a transfer rule that allows teams to file a waiver and possibly avoid APR penalties if a student-athlete transfers to another school with at least a 2.6 GPA and fulfills other particular criteria. * * * * * * * * * * * Baseball: Benzel’s RBI Single in the 11th Lifts Cajuns to 7-6 Win Courtesy: RaginCajuns.com Scott Hawkins launched his team-leading fifth home run in the first inning of Wednesday’s game. Sophomore reliever Justin Robichaux sealed his sixth save of the season NATCHITOCHES, La. – Tyler Benzel’s (Groveland, Fla.) RBI single in the top of the 11th inning scored the game-winning run, while Justin Robichaux (Crowley, La.) made it stand as the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns posted a 7-6 road victory at Brown-Stroud Field. Senior Buddy Glass (Clermont, Fla.) earned his first win of the season on the mound, scattering two hits in two innings of relief. Robichaux retired the side in the 11th inning for his sixth save of the season. In all the Cajuns used six pitchers. Benzel finished the night with a career-high-tying three hits, going 3-for-5 with two RBI. Senior Josh Logan (Magee, Miss.) didn’t fare well in his first game out as the reigning LSWA Hitter of the Week, going 0-for-6. Scott Hawkins (Collierville, Tenn.) went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the first inning. Chance Harst (Lafayette, La.) hit his second home run in two games – a two-run effort in the fifth. Louisiana, which had just three home runs in the first 13 games of the season, has now homered in nine straight contests. Northwestern State’s first eight hits Wednesday came with two outs and finished the night with 14 base knocks. Kyle Broughton (2-2) suffered the loss, allowing one run on two hits in one inning of relief. Demons starter Tommy Rozell retired the first two Cajuns he faced in the first inning before Hawkins gave Louisiana an early lead. Hawkins unloaded on Rozell’s 2-1 offering, sending his fifth home run of the season over the left field fence for the 1-0 edge. In the bottom of the first, Randall Bulliard (Lafayette, La.) allowed back-to-back two-out singles, but able to escape the inning unscathed to preserve his 1-0 lead. After the Cajuns went down in order in the second, Northwestern State tagged Bulliard for three runs on four hits to take a 3-1 lead. The Demons plated all three of their runs with two outs on the board as NSU registered four straight hits. Roberto Gallegos roped a two-out double in front of a diving right fielder Matt Goulas (New Iberia, La.). Gallegos then scored on Brent Johnson’s game-tying RBI single down the left field line. Nipp followed with a RBI triple to right field to score the go-ahead run in Johnson for a 2-1 Demons lead. Chase Lyles added an infield RBI single for the two-run lead. Bulliard lasted just two innings in his first career start as the freshman was touched for three run on six hits with three strikeouts. Louisiana matched the Demons’ three-run frame, hanging a three-spot of its own in the fourth inning to take a 4-3 lead. Hawkins tallied just the Cajuns’ second hit tapping a single down the left field line. Three batters later, Benzel dropped a RBI single in center to score Hawkins. Sunday’s hero Harst also scored the game-tying run on the play after Dylan Libadisos misplayed the ball. Jordan Poirrier (Reserve, La.) later drove in the go-ahead run, 4-3, with a RBI single to right field that scored Benzel from second. The Cajuns tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning via the long ball once again. With one on and one out, Harst delivered his second two-run home run in as many games to give the visiting Cajuns a 6-3 cushion. Northwestern State took a run back in the fifth as Justin O’Neill scored on a wild pitch, cutting the Cajuns lead to 6-4. After relievers Luke Wagley (Greenwell Springs, La.) and Gregory Harmon (Crowley, La.) were able to keep the Demons at bay for four innings, Matt Broussard (Breaux Bridge, La.) ran into some trouble in the eighth. Broussard, with one out, put the tying- and go-ahead runs on to load the bases. Jordan Nipp grounded into a would-be double play, but the Cajuns were unable to get both outs as Matt Hicks’ (Houston, Texas) throw wasn’t in time to Robichaux. Nipp’s RBI fielder’s choice allowed Libadisos to score. However, Hicks’ throw sailed past Robichaux at first, which permitted Denney Choate to score the tying run, 6-6. In the 11th inning, the Cajuns finally broke the 6-6 deadlock. Hicks led off with a double that fell into shallow right field. Benzel then scored Hicks with a RBI single that skirted through the right side of the infield for a 7-6 Cajuns lead. With the conclusion of their nine-game road trip, the Ragin’ Cajuns will return to “The Tigue” for a brief four-game homestand, beginning with a Sun Belt Conference series with FIU this weekend. Friday’s series opener is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. Louisiana-Lafayette 7, Northwestern State 6 (Mar 26, 2008 at Natchitoches, La.) -www.RaginCajuns.com- Chris Yandle
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