April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
CHRIST THE KING PARISH
Tyler's a hit at baseball contests
Tyler's a hit at baseball contests
That dream isn't uncommon for a third-grader, but Tyler got a little taste of the high life this summer after competing in local, regional and national Pitch, Hit and Run competitions.
Tyler, who attends Christ the King parish in Westmere, Albany, first competed in Guilderland, then Wilton.
Then the family got an email informing them that he'd qualified for the regional competition at Yankee Stadium in New York City.
"I loved it when I went on the field," Tyler told The Evangelist, adding that he wasn't nervous at all. Some of his teammates even made the trip to watch him in the Bronx.
The competition is a series of three events: hitting, pitching and running.
• First, the young players see how far they can hit a ball on a tee in three tries.
• In the pitching portion, each athlete gets six chances to throw a baseball at a target to get a strikeout.
• For the running competition, the players race from second base to home plate.
"He just gets determined with some things," said Tyler's mother, Maria. She wasn't all that surprised when he won the competition at Yankee Stadium, earning a spot at Petco Park, the home of the Padres in San Diego.
The decision wasn't released immediately, though. Tyler and his family had to wait for the announcement to be made on television.
Because Tyler had a game with his local travel team on the evening of the announcement, the family recorded it so they could watch it when they got home. Tyler didn't want to find out the decision until after his game was over.
"It certainly left it exciting," said Mrs. Witazek.
"It was awesome," Tyler declared.
His mother mused that, sometimes, she and her husband, Joe, don't understand how amazing Tyler's accomplishments are.
"I think it's a lot for an eight-year-old" to reach this level of competition, she said. "Tyler would do anything for sports."
Preparing for San Diego required lots of baseball practice, although Tyler said he didn't practice running: "I'm fast already."
The family used the event as an opportunity for a vacation in the golden state. Mrs. Witazek said she was excited about the trip, although she's afraid of flying.
The Witazeks came back with a special souvenir: Tyler had placed third in his age division, bringing home a trophy his mother carefully wrapped up in her carry-on bag.
Lately, Tyler's parents feel like they're shepherding a celebrity. Since he got back to the Albany Diocese, Tyler has needed help organizing all of his events: He threw out the first pitch at a Tri-City ValleyCats baseball game and did so again at a state championship game in Guilderland, in addition to participating in summer activities like a basketball camp.
Rev. James Fitzmaurice, pastor of Christ the King, teased Tyler with a question about which was more fun: competing in San Diego or making his First Communion.
Tyler didn't quite have an answer, but he did note that participating in so many baseball competitions has given him more self-confidence.
He's hoping that he can compete again in Pitch, Hit and Run, already defending his titles as he completes third grade.[[In-content Ad]]
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