Former Clemson righthander Kris Benson, the 1996 national player-of-the-year, will be inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame on Feb. 12, announced Monday by College Baseball Foundation. Benson, one of 21 people who will be inducted in February, is the second former Clemson player and third program member to be inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, joining the late Head Coach Bill Wilhelm and Rusty Adkins.
Benson was named ACC Athlete-of-the-Year for all sports in 1996, was named the 1996 national player-of-the-year and was the first selection of the 1996 MLB draft.
In 1996, Benson recorded one of the best seasons in Clemson history, as the first-team All-American led the Tigers to the College World Series and posted a 14-2 record with a 204-27 strikeout-to-walk ratio, leading to a 2.