Fruita pitcher moves down the road to Grand Junction, signs with Mesa State

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Staying close to home when it came to playing college baseball was an easy decision for Rex Clements.

The Fruita Monument High School senior opted to sign with Mesa State College due a chance to thrust himself into Mavericks’ pitching staff quickly. And selecting the Mavericks after entertaining thoughts of moving away allows Clements’ family a chance to continue to watch him play in the future.

“I have a huge family, and most of them are in town. This is a lot easier and better for my family,” he said. “Staying in town so they can see me is good for me.”

Staying in town became much easier after Mesa State head coach Chris Hanks mentioned the status of the team’s 2010 pitching staff. “They’re losing nine senior pitchers,” Clements said of a conversation he had with Hanks. “So he said as long as I keep working hard and just improve on my skills, I have a really good chance of being a starter.”

Hanks got a first-hand look at Clements last summer as a pitcher on the Gene Taylor Sporting Goods 18-year-old team. His stock grew as a potential college player by playing on a Rockies scout team this fall coached by former Mesa State players Daven Bond and Bret Williamson.

“It was a fun team to be on,” he said. “Everybody on the team could play ball.

Everybody was solid. Playing there and getting looked at by all these colleges, that was really the key team that got me looked at. Because most colleges don’t look in Grand Junction — it’s just not on the map. So getting to travel and play in front of all these college coaches really helped.”

The caliber of play Clements saw as a member of the Rockies scout team also gave him an advance look on college baseball.

“The competition was way up there. That helped me see the college level,” he said. “We played a lot of junior college teams on that Rockies scout team. It showed me how the game is different from high school and all the other levels that I’ve played.”