TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State head coach Tim Esmay promoted Sun Devil Hall of Fame member Mike Benjamin to assistant coach on Wednesday. Former ASU player and graduate manager Greg Bordes will step into the role of volunteer coach.
Benjamin, who has been a volunteer assistant at ASU for the past three seasons, will continue his role as infield and third-base coach as well as manager of the team's run game.
"Mike has done an unbelievable job of coaching this program since he joined my staff in 2010," Esmay said. "The fact that he will now be able to use that expertise in recruiting and evaluating talent, as well as on the diamond and in practice, is an immeasurable boost for not only the baseball team but the university as a whole."
Benjamin, who played shortstop for the Sun Devils in 1986 and '87, was inducted into the Arizona State University Hall of Fame in 2011. During his time at ASU, Benjamin has helped mentor a number of infielders that are now playing professionally, including Joey DeMichele, Drew Maggi, Deven Marrero, and Raoul and Riccio Torrez.
Bordes spent six years with the baseball program, including four as a student-athlete and two as a graduate manager, before he became an area scout for the New York Mets last spring. He was a three-year letter winner for the Sun Devils and a member of two College World Series teams (2005, 2007) and a pair Pac-10 championship squads (2007, 2008).
Bordes played more than a year of minor league baseball and is the younger brother of former ASU pitcher Brett Bordes.
"Greg's professional baseball experience, both as a player and a scout, will enable him to help our current student-athletes reach their highest potential on the field," Esmay said. "However, he knows what it takes to be a Sun Devil and how to do things the Sun Devil way, and that is what will help him teach our guys how to succeed beyond just their playing days."
Esmay and Benjamin were teammates at Arizona State during the 1986 and 1987 seasons under head coach Jim Brock, and both have sons on the current team. Benjamin's son, Michael Jr., is set to be a junior infielder on the 2013 team, while Esmay's son, Tucker, will be a redshirt sophomore this coming season.
Benjamin hit .315 in his ASU career, including .327 with 18 homers and 55 RBIs during the '87 season in which he earned first-team All-America and first-team All-Pac-10 honors. Benjamin also stole 30 bases, helping lead the Sun Devils to Omaha and the College World Series that year. He was a third-round pick of the San Francisco Giants in the 1987 MLB Draft.
Benjamin played 13 seasons in the majors, the first seven of which he spent with the Giants. He made his MLB debut for the Giants on July 7, 1989, and played there through the 1995 season. He spent 1996 with the Philadelphia Phillies before joining the Boston Red Sox in 1997. He played two seasons in Boston, playing in the 1998 American League Divisional Series, before finishing his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Following his pro career, Benjamin was a coach for the Chandler National Little League team that advanced to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Benjamin replaces former ASU assistant coach Travis Jewett, who left earlier this summer to become an assistant coach at Vanderbilt.
