Adam Best '04

Adam Best was a three-time All-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) selection for the Behrend baseball team. Best, the AMCC Player of the Year in 2003, finished his junior year with a .493 batting average and was 27 for 30 in stolen bases. The centerfielder was also named NCBWA Mid-Atlantic Player of the Year for having the fifth best batting average in NCAA Division III baseball. He led the Lions to a 33-10 mark and the first-ever AMCC Championship and second-straight ECAC South Region title that same year. 

Right off the bat, Best was recognized by his peers as an asset to the baseball program. The newcomer tallied 26 hits and scored 18 runs, while recording eight stolen bases on 11 attempts to earn the team’s Most Valuable Freshman award in 2001. 

The outfielder was good defensively but notorious for his speed. Best more than doubled his stolen bases, runs and RBI’s in 2002. He led the Lions to a 35-8 record and their first-ever ECAC Championship. Best posted a .402 batting average that season on 37 hits with 35 runs, four doubles, two triples and his first collegiate home run. Best was known for his quiet demeanor when on the diamond, but his numbers spoke volumes, especially his during junior year.

After injuring his elbow in the 2003 opener, Best set a school single-season record in hitting (.493) and hits (71). He was 27 of 30 from stolen bases, ranking him 30th in Division III. In 135 at bats, Best scored 57 runs and tallied 23 RBIs. During the playoffs, Best hit .579 (11 for 19) and scored nine runs to help Behrend capture its first-ever AMCC Championship and repeat as ECAC Champions. 
Best was named National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year, the only player under Coach Paul Benim’s direction to garner such honors. The AMCC Player of the Year also earned a spot on the All-Conference and ECAC All-Star First-Team, while receiving the team’s Golden Glove award. 
Best entered his senior year voted AMCC Preseason Player of the Year and landed on the All-AMCC Second-Team. He currently sits second all-time in career batting average (.409), third in stolen bases (72), eighth in runs (130) and 11th in hits (168).  Best is one of just three players in program history to hold over a .400 batting average.