O’Fallon Patch Spotlight Athlete Of The Week: Daniel Seddon, St. Louis Stallions SLABA Baseball

After starting at second base as a sophomore for the state championship winning Fort Zumwalt South baseball team in 2009, recent Fort Zumwalt South grad Daniel Seddon moved to shortstop in 2010, and played the position with a style and flare that earned him all-conference recognition.

But Daniel, who also plays for the St. Louis Stallions SLABA League summer team, was clearly saving his best for last, as he hit .420 during the spring for Fort Zumwalt South, and led the Bulldogs in hits (34), home runs (two), and RBIs (23), as they went 15-12, and finished tied for first in the GAC North.

And because of his all-star contributions to South’s remarkable season, Daniel has been selected this week’s O’Fallon Patch.com Spotlight Athlete of the Week.

“It was a fun year,” Daniel said. “We played hard. We played as a team, and we were able to tie for the GAC North title, which was really tough because the league was so good.”

The league was so good in fact, that three teams--Zumwalt South, Zumwalt North, and Zumwalt East--all tied for the league championship.

But only one of those teams had a middle infielder and senior leader like Daniel, who ranked in the top 10 in every offensive category except sacrifice bunts and stolen bases.

And it was because of Daniel’s hot hitting throughout April and May that the undermanned and injury-plagued Zumwalt South squad was even in position to win the conference this year.

One game in particular that stood out was the April 19 win over Zumwalt East.

That day, Daniel went 3-3 at the plate, with two doubles and a triple, and scored three runs, that helped the Bulldogs hand Zumwalt East its only conference loss of the season.

That win, probably more than any other during the season, was the reason why Zumwalt South was able to clinch its share of the league title.

“We’re very proud of him,” said Daniel’s father and summer baseball coach Scott Seddon. “He has to go through so much just to be able to play. It’s really kind of unbelievable watching him.”

Most fans probably wouldn’t know it, but Daniel has cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that can take the lives of its victims at an early age.

The average life expectancy of a person born in the United States with cystic fibrosis is their mid-30s. But no matter how long the disease's victims are able to live with cystic fibrosis, very few of them are able to play sports of any kind, because it so dramatically effects their lungs and their breathing.

Seddon, whose condition is considered severe, according to his dad, takes a number of medications and breathing treatments everyday just so he’ll be able to play ball when the time comes on any particular day.

“You’re gonna make me cry talking about this,” Scott said. “We know the disease is fatal. And Daniel’s probably gonna die before I do. He just had two friends with CF die during the school year. But he’s a trooper. And he just punches through whatever he has to so he can play.”

This summer, Daniel has dedicated his season to classmate Erica Harter, one of the close friends who died from complications due to cystic fibrosis earlier in the spring.

“She was a great girl,” Daniel said. “And I just want to do the best I can for her and all those people (with the disease) that can’t be out here playing the game.”

“I know he isn’t ashamed of having CF, but he doesn’t really like to talk about it that much,” Scott said. “Daniel doesn’t want to be known as the CF kid that plays baseball. He wants to be known as a ballplayer that has CF. And he makes our whole family proud everyday.”

In the fall, Daniel will enroll at Lindenwood University, where he’s already accepted a scholarship to play baseball for the Lions next season. The 18-year old O’Fallon resident is extremely excited about playing for Lindenwood, even if it might mean making another position change.

“They told me they have an opening at second base,” Daniel said. “I played there my sophomore year, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem switching back. I just wanna get there and show them what I can do.”

If it’s anything like what he did during his high school career, or what he’s done his whole life battling cystic fibrosis, then the folks at Lindenwood better get ready for something incredible in 2012.

Because Daniel Seddon, this week’s O’Fallon Patch.com Spotlight Athlete of the Week, is a superstar on and off the field.