Two years of college baseball in Hillsboro.

2024 Belle High School (BHS) graduate Clayton Shockley will have that to look forward to after signing a letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic pursuits as a member of the Jefferson College Vikings baseball program in Hillsboro.

Throughout the fall and spring of Shockley’s senior year, he was an instrumental piece in helping the Tigers to double-digit win totals in both the fall of 2023 and spring of 2024.

Helping BHS to a 12-4 record during their fall season, Shockley was second on the team with 27 innings pitched while also leading the Tigers pitching staff by pitching in 10 games and starting in six of them.

Also registering a team-high 64 strikeouts, Shockley only allowed 12 run (nine earned) on 13 hits and 19 walks.

Shockley reached double digits in strikeouts during three games in the fall with 14 against Vienna in addition to a baker’s dozen (13) against St. Elizabeth. He also registered 11 strikeouts in another Maries County fall baseball showdown against Vienna.

At the plate with a bat, Shockley was equally as dangerous.

Other than placing seventh on the team with 10 walks, Shockley was in the top three in all other hitting-related statistical categories.

Producing a .404 batting average good for third on the team, Shockley also registered a .500 on-base percentage and a 1.114 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) which placed third on the team.

He also slugged his way to a .614 slugging percentage good for second on the team.

Third on the team with 23 hits last fall, Shockley tied for third with Garrett Gehlert as both players hit for 15 singles.

Shockley and Carter Kinkead tied for second on the team last fall with six doubles each.

Hitting two home runs last fall, Shockley tied for third on the team in that department with Blake Henry.

Driving in 26 runs batted in (RBI) and scoring 26 runs, Shockley placed second on the team in both categories.

Shockley’s speed on the base paths led him to 13 stolen bases good for a tie with Luke Rohrer for the team lead.

He recorded a season-high three hits twice against Tuscumbia’s Lions and Bourbon’s Warhawks while also hitting for a season-high three singles also against the Lions.

His six doubles came against New Bloomfield, St. Elizabeth, Steelville, Vienna and Bourbon twice.

Shockley’s two home runs last fall came in action against Jamestown and Bourbon.

Driving in a season-high five RBIs against Bourbon, Shockley also scored a season-high two runs against Jamestown and Bourbon twice.

Among his 13 stolen bases, Shockley stole two of them in action against Tuscumbia, Vienna, Bourbon and Stoutland.

Helping the Tigers to a 16-7 record during the spring season, Shockley led the Tigers during his senior year with a 1.261 ops (on-base plus slugging percentage), .717 slugging percentage, nine doubles, 29 runs batted in (RBI) and 15 stolen bases.

Shockley also pitched a team-high 50 and a third innings while recording 103 strikeouts to lead the Tiger pitching staff.

He was also second on the team with a .400 batting average, .544 on-base percentage, 24 hits, two triples and two home runs.

Recording a season-high three hits against Dixon and St. James, Shockley also hit two doubles in three games against Dixon, Linn and St. James.

His home runs came in games against Plato and Linn.

Driving in a season-best four RBIs against Linn, he also scored four runs against St. James while drawing a season-high three walks against Plato.

On the pitching mound, Shockley reached double digits in the strikeout department during six games.

He fanned a season-high 14 strikeouts against Dixon to go along a baker’s dozen (13) in two other showdowns against the Bulldogs.

Shockley also struck out 12 Vienna Eagles in early May while ringing up 11 strikeouts in mid-April against Linn and 10 against California in early April.