There was a time not long ago when Ben Christine wasn’t the one people were watching.
Not because he didn’t care. Not because he wasn’t working. But because physically, he hadn’t caught up yet. The frame was lighter. The fastball lived in the upper 70s. The results didn’t demand attention.
“I was pretty much just a physically underdeveloped version of myself,” he said. “Raw… I didn’t fully know how my body needed to move to compete at my highest level.”
That’s where his story actually starts. Not with success. With awareness.
Because while most players at that stage are chasing outcomes, Christine was trying to understand the game itself. What it required. Where he fit in it. And more importantly, what he needed to become.
That process didn’t happen alone. It started years earlier inside Pease Baseball, where Christine began working closely with Ivor Hodgson. What began as a young player searching for direction turned into a long-term development path built on consistency, trust, and an understanding of what real pitching actually looks like. Not chasing velocity. Not chasing numbers. Learning how to pitch.
The jump to college didn’t change the game. It sharpened it.
“Everybody you play against is good,” he said. “You have to find as many edges as you can.”
For Christine, that edge didn’t come from trying to do more. It came from doing things with intention. Slowing the game down. Letting it breathe.
“The biggest jump has been my approach,” he said. “Playing the game like I did as a kid instead of treating it like a job.”
It’s a subtle shift. But at this level, subtle is everything.
Because somewhere along the way, Christine stopped trying to prove he belonged and started pitching like he knew he did.
That didn’t happen overnight. And it didn’t happen without resistance.
“The most challenging part was allowing myself to believe I was good enough,” he said.
There’s a moment every player reaches where the physical gains aren’t the barrier anymore. It’s internal. Belief. Trust. Identity.
Christine worked through that the same way he worked through everything else. Repetition. Consistency. Quiet confidence built over time.
“One part of my game I’ve taken ownership of is my command,” he said. “Becoming a pitcher rather than a thrower… command has come through confidence, and confidence has come through repetition.”
That repetition wasn’t random. It was guided. Years of bullpen work, conversations, adjustments, and refinement alongside Hodgson shaped not just Christine’s delivery, but his understanding of how to compete. The focus was never on short-term spikes. It was on building something that would hold up when the game sped up.
Because the version of Christine taking the mound in 2026 doesn’t resemble the one from a few years ago. The same arm that once sat in the upper 70s is now pushing into the mid-90s. The stuff has sharpened. The offspeed has bite.
But the real difference is control.
And more than that, it’s presence. Christine has gone from a player trying to be seen to one dictating what happens on the field. The physical jump is obvious. The command is tightening. But what separates him right now is the ability to control an outing, not just survive it.
You can see it in the way outings unfold now. There’s less reaction. More direction.
And the results have followed.
Through the early stretch of the 2026 season for the Harford CC Owls of the NJCAA, Christine has turned starts into statements. Nearly two strikeouts per inning – 60K’s in 35IP. A 6–1 record. A WHIP hovering at 1.04. Multiple outings where hitters simply haven’t had answers.
It’s not just dominance. It’s consistency.
Look closer at the outings and the pattern becomes clear. Five innings, nine punchouts. Another five, eleven. Clean innings stacked on top of each other. This isn’t a one-off performance. It’s a body of work forming in real time, start by start, where command and confidence are beginning to meet at the same point.
That kind of production doesn’t come from chasing numbers. In fact, it’s the opposite of what today’s culture pushes prospects and players toward.
“Learning how to pitch rather than chasing velocity or Trackman numbers gave me a great foundation,” Christine said of his time at Pease Baseball.
Inside that environment, the priority was always different. Understanding hitters. Sequencing. Executing with intent. Over time, the velocity came. The strength gains followed. But they came as a result of the work, not the focus of it.
From the outside, the transformation is measurable. From inside the system, it was expected.
“Ben was never chasing attention,” said Dustin Pease. “He was chasing development. The velocity jump is real, but what’s more impressive is that he’s learned how to actually pitch. That’s what’s showing up right now. He’s not just throwing harder, he’s controlling games.”
That foundation was built over years, not months.
Christine came in behind physically. That part was obvious. What stood out early was the drive. The willingness to stay with it when results weren’t immediate. Over time, that gap closed. Then it flipped. The same player who once struggled to get attention is now forcing it.
Because while the velocity jump gets attention, it’s the improved command and confidence that’s changing games. The ability to repeat. To stay on attack. To trust that what he’s built will hold under pressure.
And when it doesn’t, when the game pushes back the way it always does at this level, Christine doesn’t flinch.
“Failure is going to happen no matter what,” he said. “That’s what makes success so fun… I don’t need to change who I am or how I play.”
That mindset travels.
It’s why the moments don’t speed him up. Why the innings don’t spiral. Why the presence on the mound feels steady, even when the game isn’t.
Somewhere along the way, the player who once needed time to develop has become one of the more reliable arms on the field.
And the path in front of him is no longer theoretical.
A NCAA I future at the University of Maryland baseball is already in place. The next step, professional baseball, is no longer something distant. It’s something real. Something within reach.
“This is something I’ve dreamed of since the first time I watched baseball,” he said. “Feeling that there is a real chance is surreal.”
Still, even now, the approach hasn’t changed.
No looking too far ahead. No getting pulled into comparisons. Just the same focus that carried him here.
“Don’t worry about your future… focus on what you can control now,” he said.
It’s advice that sounds simple. But coming from someone who’s lived both sides of the gap, it carries weight.
Because Christine knows exactly what it looks like before it clicks. And exactly what it feels like after it does.
Right now, he’s in that space where everything is starting to align. The work. The belief. The results.
And for the first time in a long time, he’s not the player waiting to be noticed.
He’s becoming the one that can’t be ignored.
View Full Player Responses
Who are you as a player now compared to who you were in high school? In High School I was pretty much just a physically underdeveloped version of myself right now, I would say that I was raw in the sense that I didn’t fully know how my body needed to move in order to compete at my highest level.
What do you understand about the game now that you didn’t before? When taking the jump from High School to College, the physical game remains the same but the preparation and details within the game become more complex. Now that everybody you play against is a good baseball player, you have to find as many edges or advantages as you can to give yourself the best chance for success.
What has been the biggest jump or adjustment you’ve had to make at the college level? The biggest jump I’ve had to make at the college level has definitely been my approach towards the game. I’ve found that being as loose as I can and playing the game like I did as a kid rather than treating it like a job has allowed me stay level headed which is super important at this level.
What does your work look like now that you’re competing at this level? I would say the work for me so far at the college level isn’t necessarily “harder” than the high school level, but more intentional. Finding what works for me and sticking with it along with adjustments to my training has been more beneficial than overworking.
What is something in your game you’ve taken real ownership of? One part of my game that I’ve taken ownership of is my command/pitchability. Becoming a pitcher rather than a thrower is something that I think is overlooked sometimes especially amongst the younger guys. For me, command has come through confidence and confidence has come through repetition. After not pitching a lot in High School, it took some time to really find the command but once you find the rhythm the game becomes very fun.
What has been the most challenging part of your college baseball experience so far? The most challenging part of my college baseball career so far was allowing myself to believe that I was good enough to compete at this level.
How have you handled failure or adversity at this level? Adversity at this level is something that every guy is going to have to deal with at some point because of how competitive the game gets. The biggest thing for me has been acknowledging that failure or adversity is going to happen no matter what, but that’s what makes the success so fun. Another thing I’ve started to incorporate is that my failure isn’t necessarily because I’m doing anything wrong, it just happens, but I don’t need to change who I am or how I play.
Looking back, what impact did Pease Baseball have on your development before college? Pease Baseball was a huge part of my development as a pitcher in high school. Learning from Ivor and having him as a mentor helped me develop not only as a pitcher but prepared me for the mental parts of the game. The focus that PBP instills of learning how to pitch rather than chasing velocity or trackman numbers gave me a great foundation. The biggest this is having a place to go where people care you and your development is huge especially for high school guys.
What from your time at PBP has actually translated and still shows up in your game today? I’d say all the work we’ve put in together at PBP is reflected on the mound for me. Learning the game from someone that got to where I want to be and taking advice from him has given me an advantage of my competition. In addition to working with Ivor, working with Colby in the summer with strength and speed stuff took my velocity to the next level.
What standard do you now hold yourself to as a college player? I would say I hold myself to a high standard as a college player because I want to set an example for guys who were like me when I was younger. Being a college baseball player is not a regular thing to do so cherishing every moment and making the most of my experience is important to me.
What are you working toward now, and how far do you believe you can take this? Right now I’m working towards put myself in the best position to play professional baseball. This is something that I’ve dreamed of since the first time I watched baseball and feeling that there is a real chance is surreal to me. Having the belief deep down that you are going to do something is the only way to get it done.
What would you tell a current PBP player who wants to play at the next level? I would say to any PBP guys that want to play at the next level that you shouldn’t worry about your future but focus on what you can control now. Don’t worry about what other guys around you are doing because everyone develops at different times and a lot of guys don’t even really figure it out until later in college or even after. Enjoying the game for what it is and the grind is what will turn you into the best possible version of yourself.
I know I’m on the right path because… I have surrounded myself with a good support system who cares about me and will tell me the truth. I also know what I am confident in my abilities to compete with the best of the best which has given me the biggest reason to feel like I’m headed in the right direction.
Governor Hogan has announced lifted restrictions on the state of Maryland as a part of phase one of recovery from the COVID19 pandemic. Pease Baseball Academy is excited to re-open on Friday 5/15, biding by state guidelines. As a disclaimer, we do not identify as a gym as mainly all operations occur by appointment only, and there are mainly never more than 5 people inside the building at a time with private instruction only. For the time being we will be limiting all group instruction (IE Live at bats, hitting groups, SNIPE velocity) until further notice since we will be operating at a limited capacity.
Pease Baseball COVID Guidelines for those attending sessions or appointments are available in confirmation texts the day of lessons. If you are specifically interested in our COVID Guidelines please reach out to me direct, and I will send you a link or copy of the guidelines we have set in place until further notice.
I would like to personally thank everyone who has reached out since we have been closed as your support has been greatly appreciated. Looking forward to returning to action and hopefully getting back to some sort of baseball here soon!
