custom31Lnumber2custom1R/Rweight190positionSShighschoolPitman HSfirst_nameBenyearSeniorhometownTurlock, Calif.height5-10collegeMerced Collegelast_nameGorang2009 (Junior): Ben solidified the shortstop position in his first year with the Tigers, locking in as a strong middle infielder. The junior was just shy of hitting .300 as he finished the year at .285 with the team's fifth-most hits at 53. In extra base hits, Gorang tallied 13 doubles and three homers to add to his .403 slugging percentage. In the field, Ben led all players during the 2009 season with 160 assists, only making 10 errors for a .962 fielding percentage. Arguably one of his best performances of the year came on March 18 when Gorang launched two back-to-back home runs to cap off a 2-for-4 night with two runs and three RBI as Pacific defeated Dartmouth, 8-7. Ben notched two three-hit games during the series sweep of Houston on March 13 and 14, when he went 3-for-5 and a perfect 3-for-3, respectively.Previous School (Merced College): In 2008, Ben obtained his AA from Merced College and played baseball for the Blue Devils under head coach Chris Pedretti. During his time at Merced College, Gorang was named first team all-league in the Central Valley Conference. His two top performances came in wins over the College of the Sequoias and Reedley College, on April 3 and April 26. In the 9-8 victory over the Sequoias, Gorang went 3-for-5 at the plate with one RBI, and hit 3-for-5 against Reedley with two RBI in the 11-5 victory.High School: Gorang graduated from Turlock High School in Turlock, Calif., in 2006. He was a two-sport athlete lettering in baseball as the shortstop and basketball as a shooting guard.Personal: Benjamin Gorang was born in Visalia, Calif., and is the son of Gregory and Cindi Gorang. When he's not playing baseball, Ben enjoys wakeboarding and snowboarding. In his second year at Pacific, he is studying business administration and aspires to become a professional baseball player or a firefighter.