Placer alum Seeman catches on as a pitcher, fisher in Alaska summer season

When one thinks of summertime destinations, Alaska is likely not the first that comes to mind. In the world of college baseball, however, The Last Frontier is home to the Alaska Baseball League. Placer High alum Carson Seeman spent his summer away from the continental United States as a member of the Peninsula Oilers of Kenai, Alaska, where he was a two-way star. Alaska is a long way from Auburn, but Seeman was still around a familiar face up north. "I was actually set up with my great aunt to live with her this summer," Seeman said. "That was also really cool because I didn't have any other teammates with me. It made it easy going up there to live with family and spend some time on their farm." Seeman, who played last season at UC Davis, was a standout for the Oilers and earned a first-team all-league honor with a 4-2 record and a 1.92 ERA in eight appearances. The pitching success came as a surprise to Seeman, who is listed primarily as a catcher. "It was really good to get a lot of innings out there. I know kind of going into the summer I didn't really know what I was going to do," Seeman said. "I thought I was going to kind of focus on catching and just pitch a little bit. I started to throw and I think we found that that's where I kind of fit in with the team the most was on the mound, and I ended up doing really well." The Auburn native didn't have a bad summer swinging the stick either, as he drove in five runs and knocked five hits in 23 at-bats. Seeman's summer highlights were not made only on the diamond, though he had plenty of those from which to choose. While on the Kenai Peninsula, he took advantage of the outdoor adventures the region provides. "I ended up getting to do a fishing charter in Seward, which is just south of where I was, and that was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I caught a lot of salmon and actually just cooked some that I shipped home last night," Seeman said. "My whole time in Alaska, I really would look around and be like, 'Wow, this is a really cool place.' " The relationships Seeman built playing summer ball returned with him. After last year's summer ball stint in Florida, he said his teammates didn't stay in touch over the course of the year as much as he hoped they would. It's different this year. "I spent a lot more time with the team this year. We did more things off the field and you know, we traveled to hotels together, ate late-night dinners, so I think I definitely made some closer buddies this year. I hope to keep in touch with them," he said. Seeman said he feels his success in summer ball is something he can build on as he prepares for his sophomore year. Seeman is transferring to Butte College this upcoming school year with the hopes of finding a new four-year program to call home. "I feel like the more innings I get, the more I continue to improve," Seeman said. "So I thought this summer was great to help me do that. It gives me a lot of confidence going into the next couple of years."