Local Video
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| Senior loves to get dirty on the ballfield |
By: Jeff Wald, Northfield News Athlete Spotlight
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Posted: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 10:30 pm
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Northfield senior Eric Pittman takes some swings off a tee during baseball practice on Monday at Northfield High School. Pittman, a second baseman and pitcher, is one of the Raiders’ top returning players for the 2010 season.
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NORTHFIELD — Eric Pittman would spend every day on the baseball field if he could.
He calls it a “beautiful” sport, and with the weather this week, it’s a fitting description.
“Everything about it is fun,” Pittman said. “I probably played 40 or 50 games in the summer, and it’s the one sport I would never get sick of. If anything, it progressively gets better.”
He’s played the sport as long as he can remember, and being a middle infielder, he doesn’t mind getting dirty. Pittman said if he ever gets a chance to dive for a ground ball this spring, he’s going to do it.
“The best feeling is laying out for a hot shot up the middle, that’s the best,” Pittman said.
Pittman is one of 11 seniors on this year’s team, and it’s a group that coach Pete Maus says is dedicated to the sport. It’s spring break at Northfield High School, and many kids go on vacation. Pittman and most of his teammates are at the baseball field every afternoon practicing.
It’s a rarity in March, but the team is taking advantage of every outside day it can get.
“It’s a little different. Most years, we don’t get out until the week before our first game,” Pittman said. “It’s almost like the end of spring now, so it’s really nice. We get twice as much practice as we usually would. That’s great.”
Maus said Pittman will be asked to do a lot this season, and the senior said he’s ready for whatever it takes to win games. Pittman will be a regular at second base when he’s not pitching, and he’ll be one of the team’s top offensive threats.
Most of all, Maus, said, Pittman enjoys the game.
“Eric leads by example,” Maus said. “He brings enthusiasm, a little bit of fire to what he’s doing and that rubs off on the kids. I look at him as a throwback kid who just goes out and plays sports. Whatever sport it is, he just wants to go out and play.”
Playing baseball outdoors is something Pittman said he lives for. This year’s team plans to enjoy itself, and that starts with winning. The Raiders have goals of finishing the year with a deep post-season run.
“Definitely I expect to go to state,” Pittman said. “I expect to have fun, and everybody here wants to do well.”
— Jeff Wald covers local sports. He can be reached at 645-1111 or jwald@northfieldnews.com. |
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