University of Tennessee Athletics
2016 Tennessee Baseball Roster
Roster
Santiago, Benito
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Jersey Number 31
Benito Santiago
- Height:
- 5-10
- Weight:
- 175
- Class:
- Sophomore
- Hometown:
- Pembroke Pines, Fla.
- High School:
- Coral Springs Christian Academy
Bio
2018 - SENIOR
- Started 54 games as the Vols primary catcher and finished the year tied for the team lead with 15 doubles and seven home runs (both career bests)
- Also set career highs in at-bats (203), RBI (34), slugging percentage (.448) and walks (19). His 34 RBI ranked second on the team
- Led the team with a .415 batting average, 39 hits, 14 doubles, 24 RBI, 67 total bases, a .713 slugging percentage and .472 on-base percentage in non-conference play
- Hit first-career grand slam and tied a career high with four RBI in 7-6 loss to Vanderbilt (5/11)
- Hit sixth home run of the year in 6-4 win over No. 14 Texas A&M (4/22)
- Went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI in loss to No. 13 Kentucky (5/5)
- Went 2-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI in 6-2 win at ETSU (4/17)
- Homered, doubled, had three hits and tied career highs with three runs scored and four RBI in 15-1 win over UT Martin (4/11)
- Doubled twice and drove in three runs in 9-0 victory over UT Martin (4/10)
- Hit a solo home run, had two hits and scored two runs in loss to No. 1 Florida (4/7)
- Hit a two-run homer in 9-2 win over Belmont (4/3)
- Went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI in series opening win vs. Alabama (3/23)
- Went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in 5-0 win over Western Carolina (3/14)
- Homered, doubled and scored two runs in 7-5 win at Cincinnati (3/10)
- Went 3-for-3 with a double and two runs in 10-1 victory over James Madison (3/6)
- Went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI in series-opening win vs. UNCG (2/23)
- Hit first home run of the year and added two doubles to drive in three runs while also scoring three times to help UT post its first win of the season with a 13-6 victory against Maryland (2/18)
2017 - JUNIOR
- Played in 33 games for the Vols in 2017, hitting .250 with 20 runs scored, six doubles, four triples, three homers and 20 RBI.
- To lead off the 11th inning vs. Morehead State on May 16, he drilled a ball off the left-center field wall for his fourth triple of the season. He then scored the winning run after tagging up on a sacrifice fly.
- With a double down the left field line in the fourth inning of Game Two vs. Auburn, he extended his longest career hitting streak to six games and reached base in his last 11 starts (April 14).
- With two outs in the series opener vs. Auburn, he singled to drive in a run for UT (April 13).
- Went 5-for-15 (.333) with three runs scored and two RBI in Tennessee's three-game set at Florida (April 7-9).
- Posted three hits and his fourth double of the season in UT's three-game series vs. Georgia (March 31-April 2).
- Went 1-for-3 vs. Marshall on April 22.
- Knocked a two-run triple to help UT to an 18-4 win over Austin Peay on March 15, marking his third triple of the season.
- Recorded the first four-hit game of his UT career with a perfect 4-for-4 performance in the Vols' series finale vs. Cincinnati, scoring one run (March 11).
- Went 2-for-5 with a double and one run scored in the Vols' series finale vs. Norfolk State, helping secure the series sweep (March 5).
- Knocked a solo home run in UT's home opener vs. Norfolk State (March 3), going 1-for-3 with two runs scored. Hit back-to-back home runs with teammate Jordan Rodgers to become the first pair of Vols to homer in back-to-back at-bats since their 6-3 victory at Florida on March 13, 2015.
- Hit 1-for-5 with a double and two RBIs in UT's 8-4 win at San Diego State (Feb. 24).
- Was 2-for-3 with a career-best four RBIs and his first home run of the season vs. Seton Hall in the Tony Gwynn Classic (Feb. 24). His homer marked the second of his career and his first since April 23, 2016, when he hustled out an inside-the-park home run as part of a 2-1 Tennessee victory over then-No. 4 ranked Vanderbilt.
- Drove in two runs (1-for-3) in UT's 10-0 shutout win over Memphis on Feb. 19.
- Went 1-for-5 with two RBIs as Tennessee's starting catcher on Opening Day in Memphis (Feb. 17).
- On July 14 vs. the Express, Santiago went 3-for-4, tallying three extra-base hits (two doubles and a triple) and one RBI. He also scored twice and stole his fourth base of the summer in the outing.
2016 - SOPHOMORE
- Played in 53 games for the Vols in 2016, hitting .309 with 33 runs scored, 11 doubles, three triples, one homer and 18 RBI.
- Stole his fifth base of the season in the SEC Tournament against #11 LSU (May 24).
- Notched a .308 batting average during the three-game series versus #11 LSU, recording two triples on four hits, two RBI and two runs scored.
- Recorded two hits on three at-bats in the series finale versus Florida on May 8.
- Tallied four hits in the Vols' series vs. Missouri, including a 3-for-4 day with a pair of doubles in the second game (April 29 - May 1)
- Went 2-for-4 with a run scored in a 5-3 Tennessee win over #4 Vanderbilt (April 24)
- Had a nine-game hit streak, starting vs. Alabama on March 26 and continuing through April 6 vs. #6 South Carolina
- Hit 2-for-4 vs. #12 Kentucky on April 1, knocking his first triple of the season and scoring two runs.
- Started in the leadoff spot for the Vols, going 1-for-3 and scoring two runs in a 9-2 win vs. MTSU (March 29)
- Went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the Vols' mid-week game vs. Tennessee Tech (March 22).
- Recorded his fourth multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-4 with a double in the second game of Tennessee's series against #8 Ole Miss (March 19).
- Knocked two singles in the second game of the series against UC Irvine, finishing 2-for-5 with a run scored (March 12).
- Hit .400 through three games at the Grand Canyon Classic, including a 3-for-4 performance with one RBI and two runs scored (Feb. 26-28).
- Started his first game of the season vs. Memphis, recording one RBI in a 2-for-4 performance (Feb. 20).
2015 - FRESHMAN
- Played in 33 games for the Vols in 2015, hitting .132 with three runs scored, one double and one RBI.
- Made his first start as a Volunteer during game two at Florida International, recording 10 putouts behind the plate (Feb. 14).
- Recorded his first collegiate hit (a single) en route to a 4-1 victory at Belmont (Feb. 25).
- Scored his first run of the season after reaching base via walk and stealing a base against Morehead State (March 11).
- Swiped his third bag of the year at Kentucky and batted 1-for-3 in the contest (April 17).
- Scored twice, stole two bases and laid down a sacrifice bunt against South Carolina (April 25).
- Blasted his first double and recorded his first RBI of the season versus Arkansas in the SEC Tournament (May 19).
HIGH SCHOOL
- Selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 38th round of the June 2014 Major League Baseball Rule IV Draft.
- Listed as the 68th-best recruit and the No. 8 catcher in the nation by Perfect Game entering his senior season.
- Ranked 17th overall and the No. 2 catcher in the state of Florida last season.
- Led his team with a .435 average, 37 RBI and 26 stolen bases as a senior in 2014.
- Tabbed a Florida All-Region First Team catcher by Perfect Game.
- Was a three-year letterwinner during his high school career with Coral Springs Christian Academy.
- Named First-Team All-Broward catcher during his junior and senior seasons.
- Tabbed as a Second Team Underclass All-American catcher as a junior in 2013 and a High Honorable Mention All-American following his sophomore season.
- Selected to participate at the prestigious Perfect Game National Showcase, East Coast Pros Showcase and Seabring Pros Showcase.
- Was invited to play in the Perfect Game All-American Classic alongside some of the nation's best players this during the summer of 2013.
- Played travel ball for the powerhouse Atlanta Blue Jays.
PERSONAL
- Full name is Benito Ivan Santiago
- Born March 31, 1995 in San Diego, Calif.
- Son of Carmen Miranda and former Major League Baseball player, Benito Santiago
- Holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do
- Majoring in Communication Studies
- Recipient of the Hattie Ogle McGriffin Athletic Scholarship
- Recipient of the Paul & Catherine Mountcastle Scholarship Fund
- Recipient of the Carroll/Diane Sasser Endowment
- Recipient of the Joyce & Robert Bice Athletic Scholarship Endowment
BSB | Tennessee Super Regional Postgame Presser at Arkansas (6.8.25)
Sunday, June 08
BSB | Tennessee Super Regional Postgame Presser at Arkansas (6.7.25)
Saturday, June 07
BSB | Tennessee Official Super Regional Preview Press Conference (6.6.25)
Friday, June 06
BSB | Tony Vitello Pre-NCAA Super Regional Media Availability (6.5.25)
Thursday, June 05
