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Pitch and Catch
By KEITH NIEBUHR, Times Staff Writer CRYSTAL RIVER -- After Clayton Trenary went 10-1 on the mound and hit an area-best .540 in 2001, one had to wonder what the Crystal River standout would do for an encore. A lot, as it turned out. A full-time catcher in 2002, the senior won the area's hitting triple crown and was solid defensively, leading the Pirates to a 30-4 record (the best in school history) and their first state semifinal appearance in 56 years. "His talent is still rough and needs to be developed in some areas, but his heart and determination can't be measured," Crystal River coach Brent Hall said. "That's what is going to lead him to a very successful career, whether in college or in (professional baseball). Clayton's the best player I've ever coached." All Trenary did was bat .602, slug 12 home runs and drive in 61 runs. He reached base 86 times in 123 plate appearances, had 56 hits, 38 runs, 11 doubles, 3 triples and 11 steals. Trenary was second in the voting for Class 3A Player of the Year, and he was an All-Gulf Coast Conference pick. "What really impressed me about Clayton is that he's got great gap-to-gap power," Lecanto coach Brian Donovan said. "He's got power to right-center, and a lot of high school hitters don't have that. I've seen him hit homers to rightfield that few players can hit." Trenary is one of the most versatile athletes the area has produced. He started at quarterback four years and was the Times All-Citrus/Hernando Player of the Year in 2000. He was chosen to the 3A all-state team as a defensive back twice. Trenary is being recruited by Florida, Central Florida Community College and Tallahassee Community College for baseball. Florida offered Trenary a scholarship earlier this week, but he is not expected to make a decision about his future until after next week's major-league draft. Hall said several pro teams have expressed interest in Trenary.
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