Learning at home
BUTLER TWP — They stayed at home and they’ve learned from home.
And Butler Township’s Braden Marcellus and Seneca Valley’s Michael Waitlevertch have gained contributions toward their respective college educations as a result.
Marcellus and Waitlevertch joined Pine Richland’s Joe Connell as winners of the Butler County Area Baseball League’s $1,000 scholarship awards for 2022. The scholarships have been awarded annually since 2010 through an essay contest about “what community baseball means to me.”
Funding for the scholarships comes from the fees each team pays to join the league each season.
Waitlevertch is a versatile player. The Seneca Valley graduate is a catcher, outfielder and middle infielder for Mount Union College in Ohio. He will be entering his sophomore season as an elementary education major.
“I’m honored to win this scholarship. It’s greatly appreciated,” Waitlevertch said. “It’s a nice bonus to the time I’ve spent in this league.
“This is my third season and the (BCABL) is good, competitive baseball. It’s fun because you’re playing with your buddies and everybody’s friendly. The league is pretty balanced, which adds to the fun because a lot of the games are close.”
Marcellus is a corner infielder and a Butler graduate. He will be playing for Mount Aloysius College next season and plans to major in history/secondary education.
Marcellus has not been a starter on the Butler High School team, though he’s spent a number of years in the program. He plays first base and does some pitching for Butler Township, which recently advanced to the league championship game.
“We had a talented team at Butler (High School) and those kids deserved to start over me,” Marcellus said. “That’s what’s great about this league. It’s a chance to play every game with a lot of those same guys.
“It’s a nice feeling to win this scholarship — the money will help buy my books and other school supplies — and it’s fun being part of a winning team.”
Hoping to become a history teacher at a WPIAL school, Marcellus said he just “wants to get on the field and help the team any way I can” at Mount Aloysius.
His winning essay simply talked about what he learned through community baseball.
“I learned about leadership here,” he said. “I also learned that it takes hard work to succeed in anything. Those two things will go a long way in my life.”
Waitlevertch missed much of this summer season due to the recurrence of a hip injury he originally suffered a while ago.
“We were playing a game at East Butler and it flared up on me,” he said. “I haven’t played in a game since. I’m just resting it now.
“I see myself in a reserve role at Mount Union. We’ve got a pretty good team there, but we’re in the same league as Marietta and Baldwin Wallace, two of the top Division III baseball programs in the country.”
Waitlevertch added that he wrote his essay about the life lessons he’s learned in baseball.
“Baseball teaches you that it’s OK to fail. How you handle and respond to it is what counts,” he said.
