Quarantine Q&A #9 With Baseball's RJ Clayton

Clayton is a returning player and graduate of Ernest Righetti High School, where he played baseball. He earned first team all-league and all-area honors, as well as team MVP while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. His major is fire technology and history. Clayton’s career goal is to become a firefighter. His favorite sports memories are hitting a walk-off home run in college and going to the CIF championship in high school. Clayton’s father is the captain of the Santa Maria Fire Department and a Desert Storm Veteran.

Q: How was your time in Quarantine and what are some positives you can take away from it?

A: Quarantine was something I have never experienced before and there were some good parts to take away from it. I was able to spend a large amount of time with my family, which was great as I am nearing my last years living at home. I was able to surf with my dad and sister a lot, which was an awesome socially distanced activity. We also had time to remodel parts of our house, which was fun and was able to learn home improvement skills.

Q: Coming from a strong Righetti High School team, are there any players you wish attended and played with you at Hancock College?

A: I love all the guys I played with at Righetti and it’s really hard to not pick them all. Our 2017 team was really magical and we had such a great team chemistry. I consider all of my former Righetti teammates as life long friends.

Q: If you could play with any MLB player, past or present, who would it be?

A: There is so many to choose from, but I would probably say Andre Ethier. I am a diehard Dodger fan and grew up watching him play and he was always my favorite. He was a great outfielder, and had a bunch of clutch hits in his prime. I actually have a Fathead cut out of him in my room. I am sad he didn’t get a ring in 2017, but he will always be a baseball hero of mine.

Q: You wear #16, is there any story behind why you chose this number?

A: I always tried to pick #16 growing up because that is Andre Ethier’s number. That was part of my choice of picking it last year. However, the other part was it was Jake Shusterich’s number. Shu was the first basemen my freshmen year and he was such a great mentor and leader. He was the definition of a class act on the baseball field and could hit the ball a mile. I really looked up to him and I have some big shoes to fill picking number 16.

Q: Have you always played first base throughout your baseball career? Is this your favorite position to play?

A: Growing up,  I was a third basemen for a while and eventually transitioned over to first and played there for a long time. I love playing first and although it isn’t seen as a super important position on defense, a good first basemen can save a lot of runs and make the rest of the infielders look really good. I actually have moved back into the outfielder this fall and hope to start in left this spring season.

Q: What are you looking forward to the most when baseball returns?

A: I really look forward to playing a normal full season this spring and I am really appreciative that Hancock is doing everything in their power to give us a season. I also love the massive amounts of time spent with my teammates and all the great memories we have on and off the field.

Q: What are your plans for life after your time at Hancock College?

A: After my time at Hancock I hope to play baseball somewhere in California. If baseball doesn’t work out I will likely transfer to Cal Poly to get a Bachelor’s in Forest and Fire Science.

Q: What should Bulldog fans expect from this year’s baseball team?

A: I believe we have a very strong squad this year.  We have a good coaching staff, every position has great depth, and every player is very motivated to do their best everyday. I look forward to playing with this team this season and accomplish the ultimate goal of winning a conference championship.

Instagram Fan Question from @tommyhornbyy

Q: What’s one play you made in your career that was so good you were even shocked?

A: The only one I can think of is hitting a walk off home run in high school. I was very shocked and didn’t know how to react

Instagram Fan Question from @awburgerfam

Q: Have you ever been part of a triple play?

A: Unfortunately, no. That is one of the most exciting plays in baseball

Instagram Teammate Question from @therealevankling

Q: Have you ever sustained an injury from a fence?

A: Hi Evan. Yes I have. Caught a ball hit by Nate Mitchell and ran full speed into the fence. About eight stitches were needed on my eyebrow but it was worth to keep Mitch off the bases.

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