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Youngstown State senior baseball player Tom Clayton, a Poland native, ranks fi fth in the country in batting average with a .452 mark. He was a career .274 hitter for the Penguins before this season.
Senior Tom Clayton is among the nation’s leaders in batting average
By JON MOFFETT
YOUNGSTOWN
Baseball has always been considered a numbers game.
Perhaps no other sports holds its statistical records so sacred. And there’s one number that Youngstown State senior Tom Clayton reveres more than any other.
Through 46 games, Clayton has recorded a .452 batting average. At one point, he was leading the nation in Division I baseball in that category.
“Right now it just means that I’m seeing the ball really well,” Clayton said. “Everything up there looks like it’s coming in just right for me to hit.”
The statistic is even more impressive considering Clayton’s career with the Penguins (20-26, 8-11 Horizon League) and his recent history. His previous career best batting average was .308 his freshman year. Last season, He tallied a .087 average – two hits in 23 plate appearances.
Clayton has 56 hits this year. Included in that figure are 14 doubles, a triple, and a career-best six home runs. He’s also brought in 36 runs, and scored another 35.
He’s only struck out 16 times, and has walked on eight occasions.
Before the season started, YSU coach Rich Pasquale preached about offense and hitting. But did he expect one of his Penguins would lead the nation in average?
“No, and I especially didn’t think it was going to be Tommy,” he said with a laugh.
Clayton, 23, a Poland High graduate, has appeared in 158 career games, 40 of which happened this year. He has started 104.
“It feels really good, especially during my senior year,” Clayton said. “I couldn’t really ask for it to go any other way. It’s built up for five years playing here [Clayton redshirted in 2006] and finally I’ve gotten my chance and been able to prove I can hit the ball.”
While a little surprised by Clayton’s numbers, Pasquale said he isn’t shocked.
“The fall that he had, and the good winter workouts have paid off,” Pasquale said. “He’s a max-effort guy in whatever he does, and I’m just happy to see what he’s doing. And he deserves whatever he gets.”
With 10 games — including seven conference bouts — left in the regular season, Clayton said his team isn’t done. He added he’d gladly trade his personal statistics for more wins. And the team has the talent to win the Horizon League, he said.
Pasquale said he appreciates having players step up and lead by example.
“He’s someone who works hard, has a plan going up to the plate every time and that’s certainly something we need,” Pasquale said. “He’s a great student, a great teammate and he’s seeing some results of his hard work.”
What’s more impressive to Pasquale is Clayton’s ability to ignore the numbers during the game. He said it’s easy to focus on a number and press too much in the batter’s box.
“That’s tough,” he said. “But it’s a matter of staying in the moment. And I know it’s cliche, but we have to do that. And he’s doing a pretty good of staying in the moment and focusing on the task at hand.”
Clayton said it’s all about the way he approaches every pitch.
“After the game, people will come up to me and talk about that, and that’s my time to hear about that kind of stuff,” he said. “But when game time comes, I don’t think about any of that. I think about that pitch and that pitcher; me versus him. I go up there and tell myself he’s not better than me, and I’m going to win this battle.”
Both Pasquale and Clayton were quick to reiterate that the season isn’t over yet. The Penguins will travel to Indiana on Friday for a crucial weekend series against Valparaiso. While the Penguins are in the driver’s seat for a postseason bid, nothing has been locked up.
Clayton said a long playoff run would be the icing on the cake of his boyhood dream.
Clayton first began playing at age 8 for Kenny Oil of the Poland youth baseball league. He said he’s benefited from the ability to have his family cheer for him his entire career.
“My grandpa, he’s 84 years old, and he still comes to every game,” he said. “My parents come to all the games, my brothers come to all the games and it’s just nice having that support. It makes it that much better when you’re having a good game.”
Win or lose, Clayton said he’s been able to build some great memories. While he’ll hold on to those memories, he’s not ready for them to be all he has left.
“The closer I get to the end here, the more I realize how much I’m going to miss this game,” he said. “It’s starting to really hit me that it’s almost over. And I just don’t want it to end.”