BC Rippin: West Coast Tour ‘25

In Bullard ISD - Sports, SPORTS
July 12, 2025

Louisiana Monroe Warhawks trading card from 2024-25. Coke has transferred to Tyler Junior College this year.

By Mickey Smith

SCOTTSDALE. AZ. – Make no mistake about it.

BC is not Before Christ, but BC really loves JC.
BC is not working from a tour stage as a rapper, but he probably could…if he wanted to.
BC is a former Bullard Panther outfielder and track sprinter, Ben Coke.
BC on the baseball field is  ‘The Ripper.’
Coke is a 2024 graduate, All-District and All-State performer after playing effortlessly in the Panthers outfield, posting the top spot in 4A Texas baseball with 50 runs scored in ’24.

Lil Ben as a member of the 9U Tyler JAXX Select travel team coached by his Dad, Jeff.

At the plate as a senior with a solid .327 batting average, .981 OBP, six doubles, four triples, one homer and 18 RBIs, all contributing to his next level interest.
Ben had several offers from a range of divisions before he decided to play Division 1 baseball, inking with the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks. 
The ‘Hawks put together a 22-33 overall record and a dreary 8-22 mark in Sun Belt conference play last season.
His first year wasn’t working out, limited to some spot duty as a pinch-runner. In two at-bats, Coke walked once and struck out once, scoring three runs in 12 game appearances.
About his time in Monroe stint, Coke knew a starting nod may come tough with several returning outfielders for the Warhawks.
“It was a good year for me from the standpoint of getting my feet planted and initiated to playing college ball, and how demanding it is along with school but, it was frustrating at the same time,” the Business Administration major, Coke added, ” but with the older guys around it created a lot of drive for me to keep working harder.”
So as is the normal for most college hard ballers the regular school season is quickly followed by one of many Collegiate Summer Leagues.
BC decided his tour would go west and play in the prestigious California Collegiate League (CCL), playing for the San Francisco Seagulls. 

Family pic is little brother Jace, Dad Jeff, Ben and Mom Mendi Coke all stop for a family pose in San Francisco recently.

The BC Ripping West Coast Tour…. begins.
Coke saw some playing time but was still frustrated watching from the dugout more than he cared for. BC needed to find his new backup group and keep on working.
As things work sometimes, a negative can get positive real quick, as was the case for Ben.
BC’s,  West Coast “Rippin Tour ’25”  now moves on to Arizona.
ULM teammate Jackson Landry was a part of CCL. Faced with a mid-season coaching change, the duo made a jump at a rare opportunity.
Driveline Baseball in Scottsdale, Arizona, has groomed some of the top professional prospects in America over the past years.
BC now finds himself one of the incredible talent.  

Ben Coke and his baseball roomie and former teammate at ULM, Jackson Landry after workouts at Drivelines Baseball in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Driveline has most recently fine-tuned the 2024 top draft choice, Travis Bazzana.
Others who honed their skills over the years at Driveline include 200+ draft picks, 100+ MLB players, and 40+ MLB All-Stars.
Strictly a camp for pitching perfection, and truly a hitters’ Dreamland.
The facility at Driveline includes a huge indoor facility, including a Motion Capture cage with 10 cameras, Hit Trax, Blast, a complete weight room, innumerable batting cages, and a setup for Pressure Clamp training. 
“Drivelines trainers and facilities have shown me how to truly be a hitter,” Ben said about his 30-day stint with his baseball brother, Landry. “Driveline breaks down everything from footwork, to proper mental approach, to swing speed, using the whole field, and breakdowns on places you most need to improve. 
“Most of all, the one-on-one trainers really focus on you and both the strengths and weaknesses you need to pinpoint and get better,”  Ben added.
Saving the best news for last, the BC ‘Rippin tour’s coming back home to play baseball next season at Tyler Junior College. A fresh start to embark on his next stop on his baseball dream tour.
“They got in touch with me and the coaches were just great, totally upfront, legit guys prepared to make us better, and if things work out there, maybe even bigger and better are things ahead after that,” Coke concluded.
” I’ve just been blessed by God with the ability to play a game I love,” BC said in closing. “He gave me a path and it’s my job to make the most of my gifts like my family and their support and, the talent God has given me.’