When you coach an athlete who has been a University of Miami commitment since finishing eighth grade, as well as a two-time Star-Banner baseball player of the year, it would come as no surprise if your first comments about him were about a big strikeout or a game-winning double.
But longtime North Marion skipper Dale Hall didn’t go that direction when initially talking about 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior left-handed pitcher/outfielder Trenton Ramsey.
“There aren’t enough good things I can say about Trenton,” Hall said. “He’s the type of guy you can build a team around. He’s someone full of character. He’s got all the leadership skills you would want. He’s vocal on the field in a good, positive way, and his teammates love him.
“We take a poll at the
end of every season with our players about (who are the best leaders coming back). He got here (after transferring from Trinity Catholic) in the fall of 2024, and after that first season he was with us, everyone raved about what he brought to the locker room.”
Ramsey said those qualities came from his parents, John and Erin, and added that being we-first is very important to him.
“I feel like that means everything in the team aspect,” Ramsey said. “If you aren’t putting your best foot forward for everybody, you aren’t doing your best to help us win.
“When someone is just thinking about himself, and not the team, I don’t like that.”
With that clear, it is possible to be an excellent teammate while also putting up strong individual numbers, something Ramsey proved in 2026.
Throwing a 4-seam fastball that touches just above 93 mph, a sinker, a changeup, a “gyro slider” (hard with a late dive) and a sweeper he calls his out pitch, Ramsey went 5-1 with a 2.25 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 31 innings. Opponents hit .146 against him.
And batting mostly third on a Colts team that finished 20-8 and reached the FHSAA Class 3A Region 2 semifinals, he hit .319 with a .431 OBP, a .582 slugging percentage, five home runs, 24 runs and 21 RBI. He also stole 13 bases.
Ramsey takes those talents near South Beach, where he said the Hurricanes likely will play him on the mound and in the outfield with the bigger focus, at least early, being on pitching. He added that when Major League scouts have come to see him (Hall said there were 20+ at the Colts’ first practice last year), they’ve mainly wanted to watch his lefty swing.
Off the field, he graduated from NMHS with a 4.25 GPA and plans to study finance at Miami, which he calls his “dream school.”
“It’s the best place on Earth,” Ramsey said. “I don’t like the cold, and it’s always warm there. It’s just far enough away from home and also close enough to visit.
“It’s perfect for me.”
2026 All-Marion County baseball team
OF/P - Trenton Ramsey, North Marion (Miami signee went 5-1, 2.25 ERA, .319 BA, 24 runs)
P - CJ Sayler, North Marion (Elon signee went 4-1, 2.83 ERA, 56 Ks in 41 IP)
P - Oakley Hayhurst, Trinity Catholic (7-2, 2.82 ERA, 55 Ks in 49.1 IP)
P - Spencer Payne, Vanguard (5-1, 1.81 ERA, 102 Ks in 50.2 IP)
P - Martin McKinney, Vanguard (3-2, 1.54 ERA, 60 Ks in 41 IP)
C - Tucker Jones, North Marion (.321 BA, 6 2Bs, 13 RBI)
INF - Gavin Greathouse, Trinity Catholic (.425 BA, 37 hits, 29 RBI)
INF - Nick Tanko, Trinity Catholic (.341 BA, 31 hits, 16 SBs)
INF - Daniel Wilson, Forest (.343 BA, 24 hits, 6 2Bs)
INF - Troy Guynn, North Marion (CF signee hit .357, 20 runs, 16 RBI)
OF - Ahmari Dixon, West Port (.375 BA, 19 runs, 8 2Bs)
OF/1B - Je’Mere Frymire, Belleview (.400 BA, 24 hits, 18 runs)
DH - Cole Cordes, West Port (.446 BA, 29 hits, 19 runs)
UTIL - Forest Clifton, Dunnellon (.446 BA, 29 hits, 17 RBI)
UTIL - Gilbehert Mendoza, Belleview (.344 BA, 28 runs, 18 RBI)
UTIL - Nate Colon, Trinity Catholic (4-2, 2.45 ERA, .328 BA, 26 RBI)
Honorable mention: Matthew Wetherell (Trinity Catholic), Katcher Streit (Trinity Catholic), Aidan Elgart (Trinity Catholic), Brian Rudman (Trinity Catholic), Tucker Crowley (Trinity Catholic), Maddox Roberts (North Marion), Ayden Gonzalez (North Marion), Brandon Keen (North Marion), Carson Oliver (Vanguard), JJ Thomas (Vanguard), Jordan Pinkerton (Vanguard), Brody Katich (Vanguard), Davin Robinson (Vanguard), Alex Abbott (Vanguard), David Robinson(Vanguard), Angel Torres (Forest), Hayden Rickman (Forest), Samuel Baderschneider (Forest), Ryan Cushenbery (Forest), David Ames (Forest), Logan Chen (Belleview), Jayden Fortune (Belleview), Liam Driskell (Belleview), Lazaro Martinez (Belleview), Larry Quartararo (Belleview), Kayden Terpstra (West Port), Jacob Leppert (West Port), Michael Payne(Dunnellon), Jaumil Curvas (Dunnellon), Landon Courtney (Lake Weir), Chapter Jones (Lake Weir), D’Angelo Erazo (Lake Weir), Skyler Courtney (Lake Weir), Isaac Greenberg (Redeemer), Christian Bessoni (St. John), Carlos Sanchez (St. John), Luis Roman (St. John), Eli Gill (St. John), Will Spellman (St. John).
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Off to Miami, Trenton Ramsey's swansong lives up to hype, leads All-County baseball team
