‘I felt crushed by it.’ Sayre star looks to future after his senior season was stolen.
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The Stories of the Spring
High school sports seasons across Kentucky were canceled this spring because of the coronavirus pandemic. This series by the Lexington Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com is telling some of the best stories of the spring that we were denied from each Lexington high school. Click below to read all the stories published to date.
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Editor’s Note: High school sports seasons across Kentucky were canceled this spring because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Herald-Leader continues a series today telling some of the best stories of the spring that we were denied from each Lexington high school.
A major distraction out of the way, Sayre star Ben Trammell was ready to enjoy one final spring making memories on the baseball diamond with his fellow Spartans.
Trammell signed with Centre College in October and was excited to have his post-high school plan in place before lifting the curtain on his senior season.
“I was over the moon,” Trammell told the Herald-Leader in a recent phone interview. “All the recruiting was out of the way and I felt like we were a real underdog in the district and we had more going for us than a lot of people realize.”
Facing a brutal schedule last season the Spartans went 5-25, with the last of those wins coming in the first round of the 42nd District Tournament. Applying the lessons learned during that tough campaign, Trammell was confident this year’s team was prepared to make a big leap.
“We have a lot of young talent and I was excited to lead those guys and show them what the program is all about and help lay the foundation for them,” Trammell said. “Because I think that in the coming years they’ll be very good.”
But Trammell never got the chance to run with the role of senior leader. The coronavirus pandemic shut down high school spring sports in Kentucky, leaving the Spartans’ pitching ace to wonder what might have been. Sayre Coach Kevin Clary delivered the devastating news after what turned out to be Trammell’s final practice with the team he joined as an eighth-grader.
“I felt crushed by it … it was super tough, especially given how close-knit Sayre is as a community because of how small it is,” Trammell said. “We had our last night practice and Coach Clary got us together and broke the news that he thought we probably weren’t going to have a season and it was definitely tough. You don’t expect anything like that, especially with sports. You think it’s always going to be there no matter what.”
‘He carried the torch’
Clary was prepared to put a lot on Trammell’s shoulders this season, but he was confident the 6-foot-3, 170-pound right-handed pitcher with a fastball that currently tops out in the upper-80s was more than prepared to handle the burden. And Clary clearly knows how to size up his assets; he was named KHSAA Coach of the Year in 2010 after leading Lexington Catholic to a state championship.
“Ben was going to be our No. 1 starter. He was also going to play a lot of outfield and hit in the middle of our order, and he embraced all of that,” Clary said. “He was absolutely a great leader for us the last two years and we were going to ask even more of him … He carried the torch very well and led by example on a daily basis. He’s the kind of kid that a coach loves to coach because he would run through a wall for you.”
Not one to forgo a chance at new experiences, Trammell got out of his comfort zone last year and tried a new sport. He’d never played football, partly because Sayre didn’t have a program until 2018. As a senior this season, he couldn’t resist the urge to hit the gridiron for the first time in his life.
“I figured I’d give it a try for my senior year and I loved it. It was a super cool experience.”
Trammell cited the chance to play for Sayre Coach Chad Pennington, the former Marshall star who spent nine years in the NFL with the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, as a factor in giving football a go.
“Especially with Coach Pennington, given his background. It was just awesome.”
Trammell played wide receiver and defensive back and said the experience made him wish he’d had a chance to play the sport earlier in life.
“I definitely wish I’d played it as a junior, too, because then I would have got to play for two years. But it was a very special experience to have even for one year and I’m thankful I did it.”
But Trammell never doubted that his athletics future lay on the diamond.
“Baseball was always my first love, ever since I stared playing when I was 4 years old,” he said.
Clary was ecstatic when Trammell signed with Centre.
“That was a joy to see. That’s why we do this, so kids can enhance their career. It was exciting to see him sign because all the hard work he’s put in has really paid off,” Clary said. “I really think his best baseball is ahead of him … I think he’s gonna be an absolute gem for Centre. They’ve got something special on their hands.”
‘Perfect fit’
Clary said Trammell would have had plenty of other options to continue his baseball career, but he said the young man with a “great head on his shoulders” is thinking beyond athletics.
“He probably could have gone somewhere bigger than Centre but academically it was a perfect fit, plus they have a good baseball program,” Clary said. “And he’s mature enough to realize that at the end of the day he’s got a better shot professionally with his academics and career than playing pro baseball. So his priorities are in gear. He’s going to be successful at whatever he does.”
Trammell plans to enter Centre’s pre-law program with an eye toward law school once baseball is behind him.
“Centre was one of the first ones to come watch me and I immediately fell in love with the school, so it worked out really well,” Trammell said. “Centre was my top pick. I really didn’t have anyone else in mind because I want to go to law school and Centre was a great fit for that.”
When asked about his favorite aspect of pitching, Trammell offered a glimpse at how his love of baseball and interest in pursuing law dovetail.
“I love the mental chess game you play with the batter; analyzing how they react to different pitches and figuring out how to attack them,” Trammell said.
Though his high school career was cut short, Trammell said he plans to closely monitor the progress of the Spartans he’ll be leaving behind, and he expects the program to make great strides in years to come.
“The young guys are all really athletic and have a great understanding of the game, which has a lot to do with how good a coach Coach Clary is. I think this team I’m leaving behind has a lot of potential and they’ll be able to do some special things in the coming years,” Trammell said. “I’m definitely going to be going to some games.”
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 8:11 AM.
