Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Jake Sedahl, Havre Baseball

Jake Sedahl plays three sports at HHS, then spends his summer behind the plate for the Havre North Stars

In Havre, it's not unusual for athletes to participate in multiple sports. Some will even compete in three different sports. Yet, four-sport athletes tend to be few and far between, which is what makes Jake Sedahl unique.

In terms of athletics, Sedahl does it all. The junior-to-be at Havre High next fall plays football, basketball and tennis for the Blue Ponies, while also playing for the Havre North Stars American Legion baseball team. That means little downtime for Sedahl, who goes from sport to sport with seemingly no break in between.

Yet, to Sedahl, there is nothing special about it, it's what he's always done. Early on in life, he acquired his love for the game of baseball from his father, Rick Sedahl and followed along with his friends as they signed up to play sport after sport.

While Sedahl is still working his way toward playing on the varsity level in football, where he plays both linebacker and fullback as well as in basketball, where he is a forward, he already has two years of varsity tennis experience under his belt, including this spring, where he finished third at the Central A divisional tournament in singles, and competed at the Class A state tourney two weeks ago in Missoula.

In addition to that, he is now in his second year as the starting catcher for the North Stars.

Despite being behind the plate each and every inning, Sedahl, who chose to forgo his final year of Babe Ruth to move up to the North Stars last year, has excelled at catching and not just on defense. Normally, catchers are more offensively challenged in part because of the fatigue that goes with bending over for the entire game. But, in Sedahl's case his offense has never been hindered and in fact he was one of the North Stars' top hitters from a season ago, posting a batting average of .346 to go along with 13 RBIs, 25 runs scored and a team-high eight doubles.

Sedahl may have been a standout at the plate last season, but this year, through six games he has proven to be even better. He is currently second on the North Stars with a batting average of .545, while also leading the team in most offensive categories including hits (12), doubles (3), RBIs (5) and is tied for the team lead in runs scored with four

However, labeling Sedahl as an offensive catcher does him a disservice as his play behind the plate on defense has been just as solid as his performance in the batter's box. That is evidenced by the fact that he is leading the North Stars in put outs with a total of 25 and doesn't have a single error in six games, making him one of the top two-way producers on the team.

But even though Sedhal has been on a tear individually to start the season, the thing he cares about most is winning and in that regard Havre is off to a respectable start with a 3-3 overall record and a 2-2 mark in district play.

That start means the North Stars have put themselves in position to potentially be a contender in the Northern A district. And now that school is out, the North Stars are getting into the heart of their schedule starting with the North Star Jamboree, which runs from Friday through Sunday at Legion Field.

As Sedhal made his way to baseball practice in preparation for the Jamboree, the Havre Daily News caught up with him for five questions.

HDN: What is it like playing four sports and describe the kind of time commitment that goes into it?

Sedahl: "It gets really busy sometimes, especially when tennis and baseball are going on at the same time and you are going from practice, straight to another practice. But, I have been doing it for a while, so I am used to it by now. I get a tiny break between football and basketball for about two weeks and a tiny break between basketball and tennis, but that's about it."

HDN: Of the four sports you play, which is your favorite and why?

Sedahl: "Baseball. My dad has always pushed me to like baseball and I started really liking it, and a bunch of my friends played it, and it's in the summer when it's nice and warm."

HDN: Most catchers struggle offensively at least compared to other position players, how are you able to have so much success?

Sedahl: "I just care a ton about hitting. I love hitting and I work hard when we hit in the cages and stuff. I think hitting is the best part about playing baseball, so I just try to work hard at it."

HDN: Do you have a favorite player and favorite baseball team?

Sedahl: "My favorite team is the Philadelphia Phillies. My favorite player is Yadier Molina. He just keeps going at it and getting better, even though he is getting older."

HDN: What do you think the key is for you guys having a great season?

Sedahl: "I'd say we need to play solid defense and hit the ball good. I think we are coming along a lot better now and just need to keep doing those things."