Mustangs' Payton proves critics wrong

St. Rita's Mark Payton heads home after his solo home run in the fifth inning against O'Fallon.
(Art Vassy/SouthtownStar)

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Mark Payton is hardly an imposing physical figure. At 5-foot-8, 165 pounds, the St. Rita center fielder was told time and again he was too small or not strong enough to excel on the baseball field.

Instead of discouraging him, however, the negativity motivated him.

"I love to prove people wrong," the 17-year-old said.

He proved something to us. Payton is the 2009 SouthtownStar Baseball Player of the Year.

"It's a great honor that I couldn't have won without my teammates' support and contributions," said Payton, who hits and throws from the left side. "My teammates made me a better player and I consider this a team award."

Payton hit .446, with 10 doubles, four triples, 12 homers, 42 RBI, 56 runs and 13 stolen bases. He struck out just four times in 101 at-bats.

Beyond the numbers, Payton displayed a high baseball IQ. He knows when to hit behind runners, when to take the extra base, when to challenge a baserunner or concede a run, and how to work the count in his favor.

He's also constantly improving his bat speed and swing on the Iron Mike pitching machine in his basement.

"Mark has phenomenal instincts for the game," St. Rita coach Mike Zunica said. "He also has God-given talent and an amazing work ethic. He's a five-tool player. He's special."

And he played a special role at a key point in St. Rita's 35-7 season, one that threatened to derail well before finishing with a second-place finish in state.

In late April, St. Rita's players appeared in a WGN morning news program segment from Bo Jackson's sports dome in Lockport. Zunica instructed the team to report directly back to school.

Many teammates went to breakfast first. Payton did as his coach requested.

It wasn't a popular decision with his peers.

"I knew something bad was going to happen if I went to breakfast," said Payton, an Orland Park Junior High graduate. "Whenever coach Zunica wants to pass along something to the team, he generally calls me. So when the guys were going to breakfast, he called me and told me that they better get back to school. It was a tough situation, and some of my teammates were upset with me. I thought the right thing to do was to go back to school."

The Mustangs had to pay the price for their decision, with Zunica putting them through a grueling hourlong running session as punishment. Payton was excused but felt compelled to join his teammates.

"The right thing to do was to run with my teammates," Payton said. "We're a team. Some of my teammates apologized at how they reacted toward me. They didn't understand the situation I was in. But you know what? It brought the team closer together."

Being so close to winning a state championship is what will drive Payton this offseason. The Mustangs dropped a heartbreaking 4-3 contest to New Trier in the Class 4A championship.

"Words can't describe the feeling of finishing in second place," Payton said. "It might be a worse feeling than losing to Stagg last year in the regional final. Nobody remembers who finishes second. A couple of mistakes cost us and we just didn't play very good. We can't blame the umpires. We beat ourselves. It's left a bad taste in all our mouths and will drive us even harder next year."

Payton's career won't stop there.

Growing up, he wanted to follow in his father Dave's footsteps and attend the University of Illinois. Everything was going according to plan, until Arizona State entered the picture.

"My main goal in life was to go to Illinois and try to compete with my dad's records," said Payton of his father, an infielder who went on to play in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. "That was my dream. He would take me on the field when he would go back to alumni games, and I just couldn't wait to play there. But Arizona State just felt right. The coaches are old-school and really made me feel wanted. My dad's not upset. He always wants what's best for me."