(Brian Miller, CNBB vs Mars Hill 4/25/25)

TRUMAN BARTMAN | themavericks.ca

Buffalo, New York; Florence, South Carolina; Milligan College, Tennessee. Wherever Andrew Bench goes, he knows the traffic won’t be as bad as in inner-city Toronto, a place he grew up not far from in Fonthill, Ontario. But it wasn’t the traffic alone that drove Bench away from his home country; it was the game of baseball that fueled his journey abroad. 

For Bench, it began in his hometown, watching his brother Ryan play from a young age. From there, Bench got the urge to follow his brother’s lead and began playing himself. 

“My brother started at a young age; he’s five years older than me, and he got into baseball because he struggled to learn how to skate, so I followed him. I started playing around six years old; I went to junior college at Niagara County Community College and then transferred to a school in Tennessee. Now I’m at GA at Milligan University, which has just been great.”

A pitcher by trade, Bench was more than a fit for a post-career coaching role when he was hired at Milligan University in Tennessee, but what influenced him to step into a coaching position was once again the inspiration his brother provided. Watching his brother work in the MLB with the world’s top players, Bench relished the opportunity to grow his wealth of knowledge through his brother’s experiences.

“My brother spent three years with the Texas Rangers as a biomechanist, so I’ve really learned a lot from him. We’ve been able to bounce ideas off of each other and really push each other, not only when I was playing, but now, with being in the coaching realm, a lot of it has been learning how to invest not only in myself but also in others and just be a positive influence.”

Over the course of long seasons with unpredictable outcomes, the long journey can grow tiresome over time. Bench’s approach remains focused on becoming a strong leader, not only when he’s making in-game pitching decisions but also when he leaves the diamond.

“A big thing I’ve learned is the value of becoming a servant leader. We’re put here on earth to build relationships with others and try to do the best that we can. I think pushing myself to be a servant leader is what keeps me going. It’s that investment piece, investing in the players, investing in the community, investing in the team—that’s what fills my cup.”

Those principles that Bench has prioritized in his coaching are all valuable traits that playing summer baseball can teach. It’s not different for Bench, who during his summers on the mound in both the Perfect Game Collegiate League in 2023 and in the Coastal Plains League in 2024. But again, it wasn’t about the on-field play for Bench; his most fond memories came from his encounters along the way.

“I loved it. Just being able to speak to the community and meet people, it’s like nothing else. You feel like you’re playing for something different in summer. Lots of guys can get selfish with it and get focused on getting in their at-bats, but when I was in Florence, I found myself playing for something bigger than just me. I think summer ball provides a different atmosphere where guys can play a little looser, meet new people, invest in their communities, and invest in each other; that’s what I got out of it.”

So how does a guy who’s become a journeyman in baseball land on a small prairie city like Medicine Hat as his next destination? Well, aside from his deep love and passion for the sport, it was one of his coaches at Carson-Newman University, who happened to be a former Maverick coach, that pitched the idea to Bench.

“In my first year at Carson-Newman in Tennessee, I got to know Cody Henderson, who was the Mavs’ hitting coach a couple of years ago. I had a good relationship with him, and over the winter, he reached out and mentioned that there was an opening for a pitching coach in Medicine Hat and put me in contact with Greg Morrison.” 

“I think a big thing that stood out to me was the amount of guys who came back who were committed to returning. I think that speaks to how Greg runs the program and how it’s been built out to be a positive experience not only for the players but also for the community as a whole. It just seemed like something that I could see myself being a part of.”

There will be plenty of new places for Bench to see when he lands in Medicine Hat, and without having to navigate through any big city traffic, it’s fair to assume he will have plenty of extra time to do so. In what began as tailing his brother’s lead, now Andrew Bench is the one in the driver’s seat, hoping to steer the 2026 Medicine Hat Mavericks pitching staff in the right direction.