Recruiting: West De Pere baseball's Hampton wows West Virginia, coaches

DE PERE – West De Pere junior Ben Hampton threw one of the best bullpen sessions of his young career last fall.

That it took place at 6:30 a.m. just made it more impressive to those who watched.

West Virginia assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Steve Sabins was in the area to scout players and wanted to see Hampton throw before he left the next day. It was two days after Hampton tossed 80 pitches at a camp in North Carolina. 

Hampton couldn’t do it the following night, but he had first hour off at school and was willing to throw in the morning. He woke up at 5:45 a.m. and arrived at Impact Sports Academy in Lawrence at 6 a.m. to stretch and get ready.

Thirty minutes later, he put on an absolute show.

“It was quite a crazy day,” Hampton said.

It only got better.

“The coach who was there called me after the bullpen on his way to the airport,” said former West De Pere and Clemson star Jason Berken, who operates ISA and pitched four major-league seasons with the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs. “He’s like, ‘I’ve never seen that before in my life. I’ve never seen a kid throw a bullpen like that, especially at 6:45 in the morning. That was incredible.’”

Hampton almost immediately received a scholarship offer from West Virginia, a program ranked No. 19 in the country. He walked away from the bullpen session feeling good with how he performed, but he wasn’t expecting an offer just hours later.

As soon as he got off the phone with Sabins, he ran upstairs to tell his parents. His attempts to stay calm failed. It was an exciting moment.

Hampton took an official visit to the school a few days later. After meeting coaches and getting a glimpse of the program, facility, school and dorms, it felt like home.

He had a handful of other Division I offers and was considering visits, but when West Virginia expressed interest, it was all but decided.

West De Pere has enjoyed a dominating season thanks in part to its standout left-hander. The Phantoms are 23-2 under longtime coach Joe Rukamp entering the WIAA Division 2 tournament and won at least a share of the Bay Conference championship for the fifth straight year.

Hampton has been nothing short of spectacular on the mound.

He is 8-1 with a 1.24 ERA, striking out 93 and walking just 13 in 50 innings. He has allowed only 28 hits and nine earned runs, seven of which came in one inning during an early-season loss to Seymour.

Hampton was part of two no-hitters last month, combining with Aidan Ahrens for a five-inning blanking and going the distance in a rain-shortened, six-inning gem against Menasha in which he struck out 13.

He’s also been a star with the bat, hitting .408 with 13 extra base hits, 15 RBIs, 23 runs scored, 19 walks and 10 stolen bases.

Out of nowhere

Hampton has become a remarkable story in how quickly he developed. He called himself an average pitcher throwing 75 mph when he arrived at West De Pere.

Growing up he dreamed of playing at a Division I college and making the big leagues. He hoped he had the stuff to do it, but the only problem is he didn’t have any of it at the time.

When Berken held tryouts for ISA teams in 2017, he noticed a kid who kept walking by and watching.

A short time later, Berken was busy moving things into his new facility. His place wasn’t even open yet when the same kid walked in and started asking questions. He thought it was cool when told it was a baseball facility.

Another week went by, and the kid again walked in.

Berken asked him his name.

“I finally started talking to him and he said, ‘I’m Ben, I play for West De Pere,’” Berken said. “I’m like, ‘All right, cool.’ At that point, it was his freshman year and I didn’t really know who he was. He signed up for some lessons and I started working with him. I asked him if he was the kid who was walking around the tryouts and stuff. He’s like, ‘That was me.’”

Berken took Hampton under his wing, and the match has been a perfect fit. The kid who desperately wanted the stuff to pitch in college and beyond started to show promise.   

“I owe him all of my success,” Hampton said of Berken. “He helped me jump 10 miles per hour. My curveball jumped 15. My numbers just shot through the roof. My pitches were moving. Everything. In one year, he changed my whole entire way of pitching.”

As much credit as he gives Berken — as well as West De Pere pitching coach Brian Schumacher and catcher Kaden Kosobucki — there are reasons he’s become a Division I pitcher that Hampton doesn’t mention.

Berken could tell Hampton had a passion to be good and was willing to do whatever it took to make it happen. He’s so athletic that when Berken told him to make an adjustment, he could do it quickly.

Nobody needs to remind Hampton to work out or do his shoulder routine. His work ethic and desire don’t have to be questioned. His ability to rise to the occasion, whether it’s an early-morning bullpen or pitching in front of scouts in Florida, helps separate him. The moment never is too big.

It all plays a part in what has made him successful. Well, that and a nasty, nasty curveball.

“I’ve had several very good coaches in college say that’s one of the best curveballs I saw last year or that’s one of the best curveballs I’ve seen,” Berken said. “His curveball is different than most. He’s left-handed and he throws hard, but his ability to spin the ball is really good. You could throw his curveball into a pro game right now and it would be fine. It’s legit.”

Having future college plans decided might take pressure off some prep players. For Hampton, it’s increased. He feels if he doesn’t dominate every game that people won’t feel he belongs at that high level. If he allows a run, it makes him think he’s letting people down.

Those close to him make sure to remind him to embrace the process. It’s another adjustment to make, but perhaps not a difficult one considering how much he loves the sport.  

“My coaches, including my parents, always tell me to enjoy what you are doing now and have fun with it,” Hampton said. “Sometimes I get in my head too much and think too much when I’m out there about it. My dad wants me to worry about West De Pere now, and in two years, West Virginia.

“Forget all that other stuff. Just play for West De Pere and have fun and relax.”