Mike Ridaught
Former Trenton standout and current Florida Gator Wyatt Langford continues to rake in the national recognition.
On Monday, the rising junior, who was a DI Baseball first team All-American last year, was named a Preseason First Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball. He was one of four Gators to receive Preseason All-America Status.
Last week, Langford was named the No. 3 overall prospect behind Dylan Crews of LSU and Chase Dollander of Tennessee when Major League Baseball Pipeline released its top-100 prospects.
Not bad for a guy from a small town west of Gainesville.
“You may only get to coach one or two players that are as special as Wyatt,” said his former high school baseball coach at Trenton, Scott Hall. “I had Max White go No. 72 back in 2012, Austin Langworthy, who I feel is one of the best Gator players when it came to big time hits, and several players who played college ball and made it to the minor leagues and still have Ricky Vanasco who was on the 40-man team for the Rangers last season. The thing all those guys did was work.”
Hall said they all earned it.
“They were always working to improve their game,” Hall said. “Staying after practice, putting in time on their own, being humble, and always had a chip on their shoulder because they came from a small town and people didn’t think they would make it.”
Langford, who started all 66 games in left field for the Gators in 2022, had a monster sophomore season with a .355 batting average, a .447 on base percentage, and a .719 slugging percentage.
He tied Matt LaPorta’s single-season program home run record with 26, which also led the Southeastern Conference.
Coming out of high school, Langford was the Class of 2020’s No. 144 overall prospect according to Perfect Game. After just two seasons at the University of Florida, he’s now in the top five.
“I saw this in Wyatt while he was here at Trenton,” Hall said. “He wanted to be something special. A lot of kids have the potential, but they don’t have the want to. They don’t have the drive, they don’t respect the game, and they think they are bigger than the game. Not Wyatt Langford. Yes, he is physically gifted and talented, but he has a work ethic and understanding that he must continue to work and get better.”
As an eighth-grader in 2015, Langford won an FHSAA Class 1A football state title with the Tigers, who finished with a 14-0 record under then coach Andrew Thomas. He also won a state title in baseball as a freshman in 2017 by hitting .391 with eight doubles and 21 RBI for the 27-1 Tigers.
“I think for the community it is huge,” Hall said. “I was talking to the Red Sox scout the other day and he loved that Trenton was only a one stop light community. Trenton has had some good players in all their sports, but not one like Wyatt. Not only is he a great talent, but he is respectful, polite, and a good young man. You can’t help but root for him.”
Langford was a six-year varsity starter for Trenton’s baseball team. He’s well-known in Gilchrist County.
“Trenton has won some state titles and they have a famous Country and Western singer who came from here, but never an athlete that has a chance to go in a draft as high as Wyatt,” Hall said. “I’m not going to say that Wyatt is putting Trenton on the map, but all the recognition for Wyatt is a great thing for Trenton and the community. Come on out and visit this one little stop light town, you may never leave.”
Langford and the Gators open the 2023 season at home on Feb. 17 for a three-game series against Charleston Southern.