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Northwest alum loving life at UNC-Chapel Hill

By Steve Winzenread | Independent Tribune

Published: May 9, 2009

From his first visit to Chapel Hill, Kyle Seager knew it was where he wanted his college home to be.

And what a fantastic experience the former Northwest Cabarrus baseball star is having at the University of North Carolina.

"I don't think I could have imagined having the time I've had here," he said. "I get to go out every day and play in a beautiful stadium in front of great fans. I've gotten to go to Omaha for the College World Series."

If that's not enough, he has spent the past two summers playing in the Cape Cod League, billed as the premiere summer college league.

"It's an unbelievable environment," Seager said. "I had a great host family my two years there. They made my life really easy. I was a mile away from the beach."

The ultimate satisfaction for an athlete is performance, and Seager has certainly delivered for the Tar Heels.

Seager — a junior — hit .308 as a freshman, then put together a breakout season as a sophomore, earning second-team All-America honors from the NCBWA and third-team All-America kudos from Collegiate Baseball.

Starting all 68 games, he hit .347 with a single-season UNC record 30 doubles, a team-high 75 RBI (fourth-most in school history), five triples and nine home runs.

With 44 extra-base hits, he ranked second in UNC history while tying for seventh with his five triples.

Seager finished in the ACC's top 10 in nine offensive categories and posted a 27-game hitting streak, the fourth-longest such streak in school history.

He also drove in eight runs in 10 NCAA Tournament games.

This year, Seager is hitting .382 with 21 doubles.

Seager has made the trip to Nebraska for the College World Series each of his first two seasons.

North Carolina was national runner-up in Seager's freshman year, and tied for third last year.

"The whole city of Omaha embraces it," Seager said. "The fans pack it out, 26,000 people every night."
Seager marvels at walking the mall with his parents while at the CWS and having "kids come up to you, asking for an autograph, and I'm not wearing anything Carolina."

The top-ranked Tar Heels are hoping to make a fourth consecutive trip to Omaha.

"I think we do (have a good chance)," Seager said. "We have really good pitching. At the end of the day, pitching wins, especially at this level. And our offense is starting to heat up."

Already the NCAA champion in men's basketball this year, North Carolina would love to add a baseball title.

"This whole university just lit up" during the basketball run to the title, Seager said.

As an experienced player, Seager has added a new role with the Tar Heels.

"I've taken on more of a leadership role this year," he said. "I've tried to help a couple of the younger players through the whole process, getting used to playing all the time and the way that we play here."

He can empathize with the transition that freshmen make.

"I roomed with Josh Horton my freshman year and I talked to him about the stuff I was going through, my frustration and everything," Seager said.

Seager credits his father for teaching him how to hit.

"My dad was really pivotal on that," he said. "I've basically had the same swing since I was young.

"I keep a pretty simple approach. I don't try to do too much in there. Just make solid contact."
Nice and easy does it.

"You can't get too high or too low," Seager said. "It's more of a consistency thing playing at this level. ... I try not to get too emotional."

Seager, who has played second base and third base at UNC, played shortstop at Northwest and for the Kannapolis American Legion baseball team.

"I remember the coaches and the players and just having a blast," he said. "We had such a good team in high school. We were stacked (Seager's final year of Legion ball). We had a really good defense, pitching and offense."

That's the past. What about the future?

"I hope to continue baseball as long as they let me," Seager said. "Hopefully I'll get a shot at professional ball."

Which leads to the question: will he return for his senior season with the Tar Heels?

"I'm not sure," Seager said. "If it works out and I get an opportunity to move on and play professionally this year, I'll look into it. But there are a lot worse things than coming back here and playing another year."