FEATURE | BB | Ben Lea | Never Ceasing - The Steady Faith, Joy in Ups & Downs of a Career

Never-ceasing: How Lea Discovered Steady Faith, Joy in Ups and Downs of His Career

A utility player in baseball is an athlete who is well-versed in various positions on the field.

East Texas Baptist University’s Ben Lea is one of them, just not in the conventional way.

A native of Sugar Land, Texas, Lea’s recruiting journey is self-proclaimed “not very interesting”. The senior received one offer out of high school from ETBU, one he accepted to end up on the Hill.

A lack of collegiate looks provided him with fuel to make a statement at any cost upon arriving on campus. It was that initial motivation that helped Lea earn a starting role for the Tigers in his rookie season, one of the only freshmen to find their way into the lineup.

He got comfortable as a starter, losing drive for his personal fitness and surrounding himself with the wrong things. It was in forgetting his passion that he lost his spot on the field, as an unsuccessful stint led to Lea being benched.

When Lea looked in the mirror after his rookie year, he didn’t recognize the man looking back at him. He saw a shell of himself, one that lacked confidence and self-discipline. He used the summer to change that image, grinding in the weight room and using tips from a coach to adjust his swing. Gradually, things began to click for Lea, not just from a physical standpoint but mentally as well.

“I developed a reignited passion and mindset,” Lea said. “All of a sudden, I have a belief in myself. With a newfound drive and a rock-solid mindset that I can change games and make an impact regardless of what I'm doing, it kind of accelerated me forward.” 

After a rough fall season in his sophomore year, Lea found himself as a non-starter and a player bordering on making the travel roster. When an opportunity arose a few weeks into the spring season, he capitalized on it. That was all it took for Lea to flourish, earning First Team All-American honors and being named the ASC Player of the Year. He broke four program single-season records in home runs, total bases, runs scored and hitting streak, a pivotal part of the Tigers’ first NCAA Division III National Championship run.

“It was extremely random that all of a sudden everything clicked,” Lea said. “It's really hard to put into words how cool it is to experience a ‘wow’ moment. [I discovered] I can make an impact. I can not only serve my teammates in relationships but on the field with my play too. The things that I did in the offseason and the things that I’ve been thinking about in June, it’s cool I actually can do that.”

It was when the lights shone brightest on Lea that his career took another turn.

Building off of a monumental 2023 campaign, Lea was at the forefront of leading the team to the prospect of another national title run. The Tigers recorded a big 16-6 home win over Pomona-Pitzer, a team that would later best them in Super Regionals, to open up the season. The slugger picked up right where he left off, going 2-for-3 and scoring two runs in the victory. Following his first at-bat in the second game of the doubleheader, Lea tragically tore his ACL.

“It didn't click [for me] about how serious the injury was and what it all meant until a couple of months later,” Lea said. “It was extremely confusing because when I found faith and a newfound passion, my identity as an athlete completely transformed in the process of months. It then completely turned 180 again, and it was really weird timing. It was very confusing and devastating, and it still is.”

Life became a blur of monotonous details for Lea- rehab, eat, take pain medicine, go to sleep and wake up to do it all over again. It was a struggle for him to focus on his still influential role on the squad. Looking back, he recognizes the toll his injury took on his leadership and the importance of seizing the moment.

“The impact you make does mean a lot even when things are extremely difficult to do,” Lea said. “It was hard to lock in and go against my feelings to be the person and teammate the situation demanded of me. I learned I didn't exactly make the most of it.”

Cleared to play in the 2025 season, the expectations for Lea were set by his play from two years prior - hit bombs and be an example. That belief took a toll on him at the beginning of the year, as he fought to get in a groove. 

“I wanted to come back and be the same, but that's just not real,” Lea said. “The reality is there are different seasons of life, and you have to take each season for what it is. Some seasons you're locked in, and some seasons it's a drag to be locked in on those same things. And in terms of this season, it was really hard for me to be mentally and emotionally stable.”

Lea remembers the exact moment he was able to turn his senior campaign around. The coaching staff elected to give him a game off against Hendrix College, and as he sat out, it hit him. He needed to be where his feet were, answering whatever call God placed on his heart at that time. He realized not to question why a situation is happening, but to embrace it for all it’s worth.

“I've learned to be present in what you're doing,” Lea said. “Go play a simple game with a deep passion. Help these freshmen have a good college experience based on what you've learned. I've been a bench guy, the dude, a seven hole, an injury guy, someone in the four hole that can't hit. I've seen all sides of the ball, so I can help others play ball better from my experience.”

From that moment on, Lea has been a steady force in the ETBU lineup. He currently leads the team in hits, RBIs and home runs as they approach the postseason. Although he says establishing a rhythm in the box has been a relief, he’s stayed true to the mindset developed at the beginning of his collegiate career, leaning on his faith rather than his performance to carry him through.

“I've experienced leading Division III in a ton of categories and breaking records at ETBU,” Lea said. “I've experienced not doing that. I found there's no correlation with accomplishing my on-the-field goals with the feeling of joy. My goal is to rely on God to stay joyful and present in what I’m doing.”

There’s no denying Lea’s spiritual walk has been tested. It’s through the trials of his career, however, that he’s found a love for life that is sustainable and never-ceasing. He hopes to leave his mark on the program, not primarily on the history books, but on the hearts of those in it.

“I’m just trying to take every season for what it is,” Lea said. “This season, my body feels different. My mind is different. The people around me are different. The goal, however, is all the same. Just ball out the best you can, make the most of the people around you and win for as long as possible, no matter how it looks.”