Campus Newcomer: New Trier OF Ben Toft

We continue our Iowa Baseball Campus Newcomer series with a top 200 outfielder from the Chicago suburbs who chose the Hawkeyes over a couple of Big Ten programs. New Trier outfielder Ben Toft helped his Trevians team win a Central Suburban League championship and now will turn his focus to his upcoming freshman year at Iowa. He is rated as the #5 outfielder in the state of Illinois and the #178 outfielder in the country by Perfect Game.

This past season, as a senior for the Trevians, Toft slashed .411/.516/.600, including a .457 batting average in conference play, which earned him All-CSL honors. His head coach at New Trier, Dusty Napolean, played at Iowa from 2005-07 and was drafted by Oakland in the 19th round of the 2007 MLB Draft.

From GCS:

OF Ben Toft (New Trier, 2025; Iowa) drives in his third run with his second single of the day. C Jake Bentivenga (New Trier, 2025; Rochester) follows up with his second home run of the day.

New Trier now leads 8-4 going into the seventh.#MEKOC25 pic.twitter.com/CEt1xC143Y

— Prep Baseball Illinois (@PrepBaseballIL) March 21, 2025

We caught up with the 5-foot-10, 170-pound outfielder from the Land of Lincoln to preview his freshman year with the Hawkeyes.

Q: When do you move to Iowa City and what is your excitement level like for that move in day?

TOFT: I move on August 16, and I couldn’t be more excited.

Q: What number do you plan to wear and why?

TOFT: I’ll be wearing number 26. I wore it my sophomore year and my birthday is on the 26th of September, so I figured it was a good fit for me.

Q: You were an All-CSL selection this past season. What did it mean to you to earn that honor as a senior?

TOFT: I am incredibly honored to earn All-CSL. For me, I used it as a symbol of my hard work and time spent on bettering myself as a player.

Q: You were one of the first players to commit to Iowa in the ’25 class. Where do you feel like you have grown the most with your game since you committed?

TOFT: I think physically I have filled my frame out more. I’ve gotten a lot stronger and faster. I’ve also worked on my mental game as well a lot. Being in the right head space is crucial especially if you’re playing at a higher level.

Q: Looking back at your recruitment, what stood out about the Iowa Baseball program that made them an easy choice over other schools?

TOFT: Iowa welcomed me with open hands, and I immediately knew on my first visit that Iowa City is where I wanted to spend the next four years of my life. I love everything about the program and the values the coaches have.

Q: Were there any other schools that you heavily considered during your recruitment?

TOFT: Yes, Illinois and Northwestern.

Q: What is your relationship like with the coaching staff? Who do you talk with the most?

TOFT: When getting recruited, I talked to coach Marty Sutherland the most. I’m the closest with him. However now, after I signed, I’ve been talking to Coach Ungs the most.

Q: What have you been doing since the end of the high school season to prepare for when you join the team this fall?

TOFT: I’ve been getting after it in the weight room, strengthening my arm, and getting hitting reps in every day. I played on a summer team as well on the weekends, however that wrapped up a couple weeks ago.

Q: If someone asked you “what do you bring to the Iowa Baseball team?” How would you describe your game?

TOFT: You have a winner. You have a hard worker that loves what he does and will do anything to contribute and help the team win in any facet of the game.

Q: What is your relationship like with the other incoming freshman? Current players?

TOFT: I’m closest to my roommate, John Henry Kohorst, however I’ve only met him once. The rest of the boys in my class I know and have aquatinted myself with. There are a few guys in the rising sophomore class I have talked to a little as well.

Q: What are your goals for your freshman season at Iowa? What areas of your game do you want to improve?

TOFT: My goals are to help the team win in any way. Anything I can do to contribute and make an impact to the team. I’d love to improve in all areas of my game as there’s no such thing as a perfect baseball player.