Ben Hilgart didn’t lose confidence after he was cut from Oak Park-River Forest’s freshman team in 2023.
In fact, Hilgart still believed he could play college baseball.
“It’s definitely been something that’s fueled me and motivated me to work harder so that I could be the player I am today,” he said of his setback three years ago. “I still have the same skills I did, but I was really undersized. I needed to grow and fill out my body. I was probably all of 110 pounds, so I didn’t have enough juice.”
After gaining about 20 pounds in the past six months, Hilgart has plenty of juice in his second varsity season for Highland Park. The 5-foot-10, 160-pound senior outfielder is batting .438 with a 1.100 OPS, a team-high 24 RBIs and 26 runs scored for the Giants (16-5, 9-0), who are positioned to win their third Central Suburban League North title in four years.
“He was a guy that, if we were going to win conference, win 20 games, win a regional, would have to make big strides, and he definitely has,” Highland Park coach Jason Newburger said.
Hilgart, who has committed to play for Coe College, knew he had to hit the weights after his junior season.
“I’d say he was right on the money with that evaluation,” Newburger said. “One of the biggest areas we try to stress from year to year is for our players to get stronger, and he really took that to heart — and he’s never lacked confidence.”
A change of scenery has also benefited Hilgart, who got valuable playing time in a spring league in Plainfield during his freshman year and then attended a high school camp in Highland Park during the summer.
“It was a very good way for the coaches to see me play and make an impression,” he said. “Everyone was very welcoming, and I had a bunch of friends in the baseball program.”
Hilgart was a catcher and outfielder on Highland Park’s junior varsity team in 2024 and then made the varsity team last season, when he emerged as a starter, mostly due to his solid defense. It was an impressive leap forward for Hilgart to be in the lineup, but he admittedly did not distinguish himself as a hitter.
“I had my fair share of struggles offensively last year,” he said. “The biggest thing was that I had a lot of weak contact. I didn’t have a strong approach at the plate and was chasing a lot outside the zone.”
Part of Hilgart’s problem was he tried to make up his entire statistical shortfall in one at-bat, something he hasn’t had to worry about this season.
“He’s made a huge jump mentally,” Highland Park senior designated hitter/first baseman Luke Giese said. “He’s always had skills and wanted to outwork everyone. He’s accepted that failure is part of the game, and he’s the best hitter on the team right now.”
There has never been any question about Hilgart’s defense. With him primarily patrolling in left, senior Paxton Feder in center and senior Shamar Wilson in right, the outfield is a strength for the Giants.
“We do a great job communicating with each other, and there’s no ball that’s hit out there that we don’t expect to get to,” Hilgart said. “It was definitely good for me to be out in the field last year, and the seniors’ positive energy made it hard to dwell on the problems I was having as a hitter.”
It didn’t take long this season for Hilgart to notice a difference at the plate. That moment came during the Giants’ first game on their trip to Florida in March.
“It was a night game, and I turned on a high fastball and hit it pretty deep into the left field gap at a field with pretty deep fences,” Hilgart said. “I remember thinking, ‘That would not have gone that far last year.’”
Hilgart is coming off a particularly productive week in which he reached base in 13 of his 17 late appearances in four games, going 10-for-14 with a 1.693 OPS and seven runs scored. He was 4-for-4 with four RBIs in the Giants’ 11-4 win over Maine West on Thursday and added three more hits in their loss to defending Class 4A state champion Libertyville on Saturday.
With college baseball in Hilgart’s future, too, he appreciates what he has accomplished.
“I’ve overcome a lot of adversity, so it was a great feeling to commit, and it’s very gratifying,” he said. “This year, I’ve been playing baseball and just having fun. It’s a great feeling knowing that I’ll get to keep doing the thing I love most.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
