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The Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School senior is patient. He won’t swing unless it’s his pitch.
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Galesville-Ettrick-Trempealeau’s left fielder Nate Carhart hits a single in Tuesday’s game against Whitehall. (photo by Katie Derus/Winona Daily News) |
“You don’t have to worry about him swinging out of the zone a lot,” G-E-T baseball coach Jeff Reikowski said.
But on the evening of July 20, Carhart won’t exactly be as patient.
On that day, getting hit takes a whole new meaning.
He’ll be participating in the Trempealeau County Fair demolition derby.
Carhart’s patience at the plate doesn’t exactly carry over when he’s behind the wheel of his 1978 Pontiac Phoenix.
“Some guys have strategies, I just go in there and hit whoever I can,” he said.
It’s a strategy Carhart has used before. He took second in his heat last year in his first demolition derby. He was also an all-conference fullback in football. So he’s quite used to contact.
“The adrenaline is pumping,” Carhart said of participating in a demolition derby. “It happens so fast, you don’t know what happened. You don’t really feel it, or, I didn’t last year, at least.”
Carhart is thrilled about his second derby. His baseball coach isn’t so much.
The opening day of the derby is also during the second and third rounds of the WIAA playoffs.
If G-E-T defeats Cochrane-Fountain City on the road Friday, it could possibly play two more games July 20 before the derby.
“And he won’t be partaking in that if we win (those two games) and go to state,” Reikowski said, not joking.
It will be a tough road, however, for the Redmen to get that far. They have the fifth seed and have lost twice to fourth-seeded C-FC.
After that, they would most likely play West Salem — which has one loss in conference — before the section championship.
And G-E-T isn’t exactly rolling into the playoffs.
Before Tuesday’s 16-9 win over Whitehall, the Redmen had lost six in a row.
“It’s been kind of an up-and-down season,” Carhart said. G-E-T had won six in a row prior to its most recent losing streak. “We’ll play like a ball of fire one game, and the next, we can’t hit and can’t field. We’re just inconsistent.”
Reikowski said the Redmen have only put one complete game together. The pitching has been solid most of the year, but the defense and hitting are what’s hurting them.
If he could get the rest of the team to take the approach Carhart has at the plate, he wouldn’t have to worry about much else.
“It’s exactly what we’re looking for from every kid on the team to do,” Reikowski said. “If nine guys (were that patient), we’d be a very difficult out nine times through the order. We’d be tough to beat.”
Carhart’s tone at the plate doesn’t match his mentality off the field.
“Nate, off the field, is a prankster,” Reikowski said. “He jokes quite a bit. He’s a free spirit. He’s the guy that will make light of the situation.”
Carhart is wrapping up a four-sport career at G-E-T — not counting the demolition derby.
After football, he played basketball — and admitted he didn’t play much — along with golf and baseball.
The golf course wasn’t exactly the perfect suit for Carhart’s character either.
“He always says something goofy right before teeing off,” teammate and long-time friend Dan Salsman said. “We’ve gotten into some trouble in golf. He’s hit a few houses. Not so much on purpose, but just trying stuff.”
Regardless of his style, Carhart was all-conference in golf, proving you don’t have to take everything too seriously to be successful.
Salsman could attest to that. Aside from the golf, where Happy Gilmore movie lines probably flowed constantly, Salsman ran behind Carhart in football as a halfback.
“He’s a great fullback,” Salsman said. “But he doesn’t change. It’s the same stuff, him goofing around and having a lot of fun.”
