Benjamin Rovnak '26 Recruiting Profile

My goal is to attend a school where I can be challenged academically and athletically, and where I have an opportunity to contribute to the baseball team’s success. I have a passion for competition, and I thrive in environments committed to achievement and winning. My strengths are my resilience, commitment to growth, and team first attitude.

When I entered high school I was 5 feet 3 inches tall and 110lbs. Following my freshman year, I experienced a late and fast growth spurt which caused significant challenges. I dealt with stress fractures in the growth plate of my shoulder and elbow, and an ulnar nerve injury that required surgery (transposition) in September of 2024. The injuries resulted in me sitting out my entire sophomore season and getting a late start to my junior season. Not being able to play the game I love was a difficult time in my life. It required perspective, commitment, and self-belief to stick with my dreams of helping my high school win a state championship and moving on to play college baseball. I focused on executing my rehab, building physical and mental strength, and being the best team member I could. I also took on several leadership positions within my school. It was hard for me to see at the time but dealing with the adversity led to a major opportunity for me to grow personally.

I returned to baseball in time to have a productive spring and a strong summer season. My focus for this fall is on building strength and continuing to work on pitch design. I will be spending the winter completing the 16 week VIP strength and performance training program at Velocity Sports in North Canton, Ohio. I’m excited to help my high school team compete for a state championship this spring and to prepare myself for the challenge of college baseball.