Trevor Bush, a starting outfielder for the Altoona Area High School baseball team who was also named a co-Most Valuable Player in last year's George B. Kelley Federation, will continue his education and baseball career at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.
Bush, who played shortstop, outfield, and pitched, while batting over .500 for the ReMax Realty team in the Kelley Federation last summer, is hoping to pitch at UPJ, a Division II school.
"I went up there [UPJ] for a visit, and [UPJ] coach [Todd] Williams was awesome,'' Bush said of his decision. "I really liked the campus, so I went with it.''
Bush played late last summer and fall for a traveling team affiliated with the Earn Respect Athletics [ERA] baseball training facility, of which he is a member. Bush has been working extensively on his pitching at ERA with Mike Connolly, a former pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Bush sustained a concussion and broken jaw three years ago after being hit by a line drive while pitching in an Altoona junior varsity game. The injury initially caused him to be a little gun-shy about taking the mound again, but with Connolly's help, Bush got past his fear.
"He basically cleared my mindset and got me back into it,'' Bush said of Connolly.
Bush stands 6-2 and weighs 220 pounds, which is good size for a pitcher. He will be a candidate to break into Altoona's starting varsity rotation this spring.
"He's got the arm for it, and size-wise, he's a big boy,'' Altoona coach Tom Smith said of Bush's pitching prospects. "We have all four of our starting pitchers back from last season, so he's got to work himself [into the rotation] as far as pitching is concerned.''
Smith said Bush's work ethic is one of his strongest assets.
"He's a hard worker,'' Smith said. "He's always trying to improve himself to get better, and that's what it takes to be successful as a baseball player. He could be one of those players that, when he gets to the next level, will get even better.''
