May 29, 2008

On the night of April 13, 2007, the Ridgewood High School baseball team was in the midst of suffering only its sixth loss of the season, at cross-town rival Gulf.

Ben Koenigsfeld, the Rams' standout shortstop and pitcher, went 4-for-4 on the evening with three doubles and two runs scored, despite the eventual loss.

Zoom ahead 365 days and nearly 1,000 miles to the north, the Army baseball finished off a doubleheader sweep of arch foe Navy in dominant fashion, winning 10-2.

That same Ben Koenigsfeld - now Pvt. Cadet Ben Koenigsfeld - started on the hill and tossed eight innings of two-run, nine-hit ball to earn the victory in one of - if not the - most storied collegiate rivalries in all the land.

Not to diminish the Ridgewood-Gulf rival, but what a difference a year makes.

Coming off a productive freshman campaign at West Point, Koenigsfeld is now firmly staking his place in line as the next Ridgewood High baseball product to find success beyond the prep game.

For the complete article from Eric Horchy of The Suncoast (Fla.) News click here