“My mindset is to be the best I can be and leave it all on the field,” said Marietta senior Dillon Trail, a 6-foot-3 two-sport athlete who anchors the Indians baseball program. “I want to do everything I can to make a play.”
Trail enters his senior season with big expectations and clear targets at the plate and on the mound. “Some of my personal goals this season are to have a batting average of .500 and good strikeout percentage when pitching,” he said. Last spring, he hit .400 with a .523 on-base percentage and .543 slugging percentage while posting a 6.205 ERA and 1.841 WHIP.
He said the environment around the team has him excited for what is ahead. “Team morale has been really good this season,” Trail said. “We are definitely ready for it to start and have high expectations.” That confidence is built on a tight-knit roster. “Our team chemistry is great, it just keeps getting better the more we play and bond as a team,” he said.
The goals for Marietta this year are ambitious but focused. “Team goals would be to make a playoff run and win regionals,” Trail said. “We are working toward that by doing everything we can in practice to prepare.” He believes the group’s reliability in the field will be a difference-maker. “The team’s biggest strength is our defense,” he said. “We are a pretty solid group, bringing almost everyone back from last season.”
On the diamond, Trail’s versatility makes him invaluable. “Pitcher, third base, shortstop, first base and catcher,” he said of his positions. At the plate, he keeps his approach simple and productive. “I look for any gaps to get the ball in play,” he said. His preparation is deliberate. “Prepare myself by hitting and getting my swing right in the cages,” he said. “I stretch and get my hands and feet right for ground balls, as well as play catch.”
Trail’s favorite memory so far came on the mound. “Favorite memory was throwing a shutout game against Lexington last year,” he said.
Off the field, Trail is involved in National Honor Society, Student Council and Beta Club, and plans “to go play baseball at the next level and get my safety degree.” He credits his support system for keeping him driven. “My mom and coaches have had the most impact on me by guiding me to success and never letting me give up,” he said.
