A decade later, Seidel continues to rake

SANTEE (6-8-2018) – It’s been nearly a decade since San Diego Stars outfielder DALLAS SEIDEL was an all-East County selection out of Santana High School. His career continued at Grossmont College and Sonoma State, then a cup of coffee at the Independent level of professional baseball.

Sure, he didn’t make “The Show” (as in Major League Baseball, yet Seidel has gone farther than 99 percent of the high school players in America. And he keeps on ticking.

Now 27, Seidel continues to rake the baseball for the first-place Stars in the Western Baseball Association.

After slugging three homers in the ballclub’s first three contests, Seidel demonstrated that he knows how to swing the bat in other ways, too. Taking the ball to all three fields in his first three trips to the plate Thursday (June 7), the Stars right fielder quickly collected three RBI to help build a 10-run lead, fueling a 13-3 slashing of the San Diego Mavericks.

With the triumph, the Stars (4-0 overall, 2-0 WBA) remain unbeaten after sweeping the 4-game set. The Mavericks (0-4-1, 0-2 WBA).

The left-handed hitter Seidel went to left field with a single in the 1st inning, when the Stars scored three ties before eventual winning pitcher MIKE HORTON took the mound.

An inning later, Seidel drove the ball to right-center for a 2-run base hit. In the 3rd, a single down the right-field line pushed the Stars to an 8-1 cushion, a lead which eventually hit an 11-1 margin.

“We like to promote our younger players in order to try and get them drafted or get a (college) scholarship,” said Stars owner/manager Mickey Deutschman. “But sometimes, you need to give credit to Dallas. He loves playing for us and could be here for a long, long time.”

In WBA play only, Seidel is batting a mere .714 (5-for-7) with six RBI.

Meanwhile, Horton yielding just one hit over five frames to claim his summer debut. After allowing a run just two batters in, Horton then sat down the next 11 Mavericks batters, finishing his five frames by retiring 14 of 17 batters, striking out three and walking two.

Joey Krug came off the bench to register a pair of RBI. Despite scoring 13 times, it could’ve been much worse – the Stars stranded 18 runners over the eight innings; the game was shortened due to darkness.

The Stars continue WBA play on Friday, hosting the Dovetail Baseball Academy out of Spring Valley. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m., as the Stars continue their season-opening 15-game homestand, including an added doubleheader against the Rays this Sunday at noon.