Trey Markham couldn’t help but think about it.
It had finally settled in for the Rice University commit that, yes, he was headed to Fenway Park to play in the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series Main Event, set for September 29-October 1.
At Fenway Park.
Fenway freakin’ Park.
So yes, you can’t blame the 6-foot-3, 215-pound outfielder for getting a little excited about getting to set foot in the same place that every legend of the game has before him.
“I was thinking the other day about what it means to play at Fenway, and the first thing I thought about was all the legends who have taken the same field I’ll be on,” he said. “So many all-time greats, such as Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and so many more, have played at Fenway.”
Trey Markham, OF (2024) – Paradise Valley HS
Watch him take the field at the Main Event 9/29-10/1. @treym_28
Event Videos ➡️ https://t.co/fovxV1ub0a@NB_Baseball @fss_southwest #WeGotNow pic.twitter.com/QvhesykgIO
— New Balance 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 (@ftrstarsseries) August 29, 2023
Likely set to man either of the corner spots for the Orange Team this coming weekend, Markham has a long history with the Future Stars Series, dating back to a Pro Combine held in his native Arizona in 2020 and including signature events such as last year’s Underclass Elite event in Frisco.
“I have been attending Future Stars events for the past four years, and it has made a huge impact on my performance and development,” Markham said. “Getting to compete at a high level in the Underclass Elite was a big confidence booster for me. Also, I am grateful for everything the coaching staff has done for me. They have helped me approach hitting in a more mature way. (FSS president and CEO) Jeremy Booth has also made a very positive impact on me by showing confidence in my ability and putting me in positions to be successful, as well as by putting me around the high-level staff.”
It was a high-level performance that the staff got to witness in Nashville at the National Combine, as Markham made the decision to send him to Boston an easy one, showing his gap-to-gap strength and impressive speed for someone his size, among his other tools.
But, even as it is his hit tool that may carry him the furthest, he says it’s managed to improve significantly since the last time we saw him at Shelby Park in July.
“My hitting has come a long way since the National Combine, in part from instruction from the Future Stars staff,” Markham said. “I have made it an emphasis to keep my head still, as well as to be ‘on go’ every pitch. This has helped my performance skyrocket, and there’s still a long way to go. Coach (James) Lofton also helped me by pointing out how to have a more consistent, fluid load, and his advice has been helpful. Coach (Greg) Jacobs also reminded me the importance of using my bottom hand in my swing, and I practice that consistently now.”
Now? The Green Monster awaits, with Markham’s big righty bat set to give it a challenge and then some in front of a bevy of big-league scouts and execs.
“I’m looking to show that I can hit with the best of them,” he said. “I have had elite raw power for a few years now, but I’ve come a long way in consistently hitting and driving balls all over the field. I am excited to showcase this against high-level pitching in front of all the scouts and executives in attendance.”
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