Lark of the Year, Benjamin Rosengard, Showcases His Exemplary Character
Benjamin Rosengard had several major accomplishments as the shortstop for the Larks in 2023. He was named 2023 Lark of the Year, presented by The Title Team, and was the starting shortstop in the Northwoods League Great Plains All-Star Game.
Benjamin was named the 2023 Lark of the Year because he represents everything there is to love about the Larks: athletic excellence, exemplary character, and a great personality.
On the field, he led by example. He had a .305 batting average (second on the team), 190 at-bats (first on the team), 45 runs scored (first on the team), 58 hits (tied for first on the team), four home runs (third on the team), 30 runs-batted-in (third on the team), 42 walks (most on the team), and six stolen bases (tied for second on the team).
“It’s more special with some of the adversity I faced this last college season,” Benjamin said. “I wasn’t putting up some of the numbers that I envisioned and I wanted to. It’s cool to see things come together especially when I meet some of the goals that I’ve had, with the Northwoods League All-Star Game being one.”
Benjamin was a class act off the field. He even took time to make a special visit to a fan’s house. Seven-year-old Brody and his father were on their way to baseball practice before being in a critical car accident. They both suffered multiple broken bones and were stuck in their home for the majority of the summer
Benjamin was notified of the situation later and ensured he made time to stop by their house before a Larks game. Benjamin gave Brody a signed bat and spent some personal time chatting with Brody and his dad.
This summer’s outstanding performance led him to accomplish a career goal of his in the fall of 2023.
“I’ve always had two goals in baseball since I was young. One is to play professional baseball and the other to play for Team Israel in the international baseball state,” Benjamin said. “For every event outside of the World Baseball Classic, you have to be a citizen of that country. So I went over to get my citizenship and they invited me to be on the 2023 European Championships team which is going to the Czech Republic.”
Benjamin led the team in at-bats (26), hits (9), runs scored (7), and had a batting average of .346 during the tournament. Other stats included his big two-run home run in an 11-8 win over Belgium, a stolen base, and three walks. The Israeli National Baseball team would end up finishing in sixth place out of 14 teams.
Benjamin hopes that an opportunity like this will lead to having a roster spot secured on Team Israel during the World Baseball Classic in 2026 and Israel’s Olympic team in 2028.
