Derek Bender Named T-Mobile Player of the Week

Bourne Braves slugger Derek Bender has been named the T-Mobile Player of the Week for his performance in Week 2 of the 2023 Cape Cod Baseball League season, the league announced Monday.

Bender, a right-handed hitter out of Coastal Carolina University, has taken the league by storm ever since he showed up. He posted an absurd .579/.636/.895 line in 22 plate appearances over the course of the week, and he hit for the cycle in Friday’s 11-4 win over Hyannis. He joined Matt Shaw of last year’s Braves in hitting for the cycle; those two, along with Richie Shaffer, are the only players to record a cycle in a CCBL game since 2011.

Bender has smashed two of the Braves’ seven home runs this summer, while also hitting the only triple and even swiping three bags. He had a stretch where he reached base in 10 of 11 plate appearances. In seven total games and 30 plate appearances with the team, he’s hitting .538/.600/.923.

Bender’s primary position has been catcher for most of his life, but he played mostly first base and DH at Coastal Carolina this year. He’s mainly been at first and DH for Bourne as well, though he played one game in left field to keep his scalding bat in the lineup.

Bender has gotten to hit alongside his Coastal Carolina teammate Caden Bodine, who’s off to a hot start in his own right. The switch-hitting catcher owns a .412/.474/.471 line in 19 plate appearances. The thump these players have brought to the lineup has completely revamped this Bourne offense, which got off to a slow start but has now scored 78 runs — the most of any team in the CCBL.

The Braves are 6-7-1 on the summer after a 1-5-1 start. Bender and the Bravos will look to stay hot at Doran Park against the Harwich Mariners at 6 p.m. Monday.