Sports
Clearwater Patch Athlete of the Week: Seth Paitsel
Every week Clearwater Patch takes a look at one of our exceptional athletes. This week we take a look at Clearwater Central Catholic's Seth Paitsel.
Seth Paitsel is a catcher for the Marauders baseball team.
Paitsel is coming off an excellent where CCC beat Pinellas Park in a 15 inning marathon, smoked St. Pete, topped rival Tampa Catholic and beat Countryside in the final.
Paitsel was instrumental to say the least. In the third inning of the final against Countryside, Paitsel crushed a pitch deep to left-center for a three-run homer that wound up being the difference in the game.
Find out what's happening in Clearwaterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"It was only the second homerun of my career but I looked up and knew it was gone," he said.
The Dunedin Spring Classic will always be a special tournament for Paitsel. He was brought up from the JV team as a freshman during the 2008 tournament - making it great bookends for the senior catcher.
Find out what's happening in Clearwaterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Paitsel started out the same way most high school baseball players did. His dad signed him up for tee ball when he was five. He went from tee ball to little league, to travel ball with AAU and made his high school team, albeit the JV team his freshman year. A cousin that played baseball for Penn State was a source of inspiration and motivation.
Paitsel moved from Pennsylvania in 2006 and started to hone in on the catcher position. At 13, he was one of the first kids on his team to have the ability to throw a runner out at second base.
Paitsel plans to continue playing club ball in the summer and is looking at USF and UCF for both education and the possibility of playing at the next level. Paitsel plans to study engineering in college, "either mechanical or aerospace" and said he could end up with The Army Corps of Engineers.
What is your favorite thing about baseball?
The randomness of it. The way anyone can win.
What is the most difficult thing about it?
Staying mentally tough. So many things can happen in a game that get you down or whatever. The hardest thing is staying above it.
What does baseball mean to you?
It's been my life since I was five years old. It's going to be really tough giving it up one day.
Favorite ball-player growing up?
Jorge Posada.
Favorite pro team?
The Yankees.
