Ben Lickteig turned in one of the most decorated careers in program history while playing for head coach Steve Eddie from 2002-05. A native of Algona, Iowa, he started in all 157 career games in which he appeared, Lickteig capped his career by ranking in the top-5 of most offensive categories in BVU history, including a then school-record 193 career hits.
The first of those hits came on March 16, 2002 during a doubleheader at Graceland University. After going 0-for-3 in game one, and flying out in his first at-bat of game two, he singled to lead off the top of the third inning en route to a 3-for-5 performance that included an RBI and two runs scored. BVU went on to win that game 11-6 and began the year a perfect 5-0. After going hitless in his first career game, Lickteig would follow with a five-game hit streak where he went a combined 10-for-21 with three doubles, four RBI and seven runs scored.
As a freshman in 2002, Lickteig went on to rank fourth on the team by hitting .341 overall, third in slugging percentage (.504), fifth in on-base percentage (.403), third in hits (46), doubles (11), home runs (3), runs scored (37), RBI (30) and total bases (68).
Lickteig kept the consistency going as the years moved on. A year later as a sophomore, he was third on the team by hitting .321 with 45 hits, including a team-leading 13 doubles, while driving in 31. He ranked in the top-15 of the Iowa Conference in hits, doubles and runs scored en route to earning Second Team All-Conference accolades for the first time.
As a junior, Lickteig took off by hitting .367 for the year, with 45 hits and 71 total bases before reaching a senior campaign in which he set career-highs in average (.377), slugging percentage (.658), hits (55), home runs (9), RBI (52), total bases (96) and stolen bases (14) that led to him earning First Team All-Conference honors as utility player.
For his career, Lickteig posted a batting average of .352, which included 193 hits, 43 doubles, 21 home runs, 146 RBI, 145 runs scored, 311 total bases, and 71 walks. He was also among the top defensive first basemen throughout the conference, finishing his career with only 17 errors in over 850 total chances.
