Benjamin Richter, the 16-year-old Watertown youth killed by lightning Monday night, was remembered by a family friend and former baseball coach as one of the better young players he'd ever coached.

Nick Demetropoulos, of Watertown, coached Benjamin, who would have been a senior at Watertown High School, in Little League baseball.

"He was just an excellent kid to coach," Demetropoulos said. "Probably one of the better kids I ever coached. He just listened. He'd run through a brick wall for you."

Benjamin, a catcher for the Watertown Goslings high school baseball team, was scheduled to play in an American Legion game against Oconomowoc Tuesday night. That game was canceled, according to Jamie Koepp, a counselor and head basketball coach at the high school.

Many of Benjamin's teammates gathered at Watertown Memorial Hospital on Monday night after word spread that Richter had been struck by lighting.

"It was a long night for all of us," said Koepp, who was also at the hospital.

Koepp said about 70 students gathered at the high school Tuesday morning in an informal tribute to their friend and to comfort one another. Koepp said he and other teachers made themselves available to talk with students.

"What I told the kids today was that we may not be what they need today," Koepp said. "It's going to take leaning on your friends and on each other."

Visitation is scheduled from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Hafemeister Funeral Home, 611 E. Main St., Watertown. The funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Cross Point Community Church in Oconomowoc with visitation at 10 a.m.

The lightning that killed Benjamin accompanied a series of severe storms that swept across southeastern Wisconsin Monday night, toppling trees and power lines. The storm also spawned what the National Weather Service concluded was a weak tornado near Markesan that blew the roof off a house.

Benjamin was struck by lightning about 8:30 p.m. at the family's rural Watertown home as he was walking from a car to his house. He was taken to Watertown Memorial Hospital by the Johnson Creek EMS. Jefferson County Sheriff Paul Milbrath said Benjamin died in the hospital at 11:47 p.m.

The son of Bill and Rosy Richter, Benjamin was an honor student who planned to attend UW-Madison. He also played soccer and basketball for the Goslings. The Richters also have an older son, Adam, who was a talented baseball player for Watertown and graduated in 2004.

The family issued a statement this morning saying Benjamin was a "terrific son and brother.''

Though he played other sports, he was most passionate about baseball, said Demetropoulos, who watched him grow up in the sport. Until last year, he said, Benjamin was short and thin.

"We always called him Gilligan because he looked like Gilligan from 'Gilligan's Island'," said Demetropoulos. "You know, sometimes you'd have to tell one of these 10-year-olds he had to sit on the bench so others could play. And Ben would always say 'No problem Coach!' He was always just very upbeat all the time."

In the last year, Demetropoulos said, Benjamin shot up to more than 6 feet tall.

"He was tough. He was a good, tough catcher. He'd block everything," Demetropoulos said.

Koepp called Benjamin a "stellar student'' and said one of the most memorable things about him was that he had friends from all walks of life.

"Even though I coached him in basketball," Koepp said, "when I think about him, I think about character more than anything."