Etsell's father-son team for N. Catholic's last season

In 1977, Jeff Etsell, an up-and-coming lefthanded pitcher, led North Catholic's drive to the Catholic League and city baseball championships.

Thirty-three years later, with North set to be closed by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for financial reasons, Etsell, whose ties to the school run beyond deep, is the Falcons' first-year coach and is working to make the program's last season a memorable one.

Because declining enrollment has dwindled North's roster to 14, winning the team's first Catholic title since 1995 is a long shot.

"I'm just trying to look at things in a positive way," said Etsell, 50. "I want to make the practices and games fun for the kids. I want them to enjoy this season as much as possible."

The Falcons' catalyst just happens to be Ryan Etsell, the youngest of Jeff and Nancy Etsell's three sons. The 6-foot-5, 185-pound senior, a righthanded pitcher who doubles as a shortstop, is a Marshall University recruit and possible selection in June's amateur draft.

"It's been neat having my dad here this season, especially since it's my last year and the school's last year," said Ryan Etsell, 18. "He's a player's coach. He wants the players to have fun. He's not a dictator."

Jeff Etsell, who had been helping out at North, took over the program when Nick Chichilitti resigned after last season and former J.V. coach and varsity assistant Tim Murphy, the school's hire last fall, had to step aside before the season because of a heart ailment.

Ryan Etsell is the fourth in his family to play for North. Justin, 24, was a righthanded pitcher and third baseman who did not play as a senior after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Derrek, 20, was a first baseman and outfielder. A second-team all-Catholic pick in 2007, he is playing at St. Petersburg College in Clearwater, Fla.

"Since we've all played baseball, the sport has helped bring us together as a family," Ryan Etsell said.

Monday, in a 2-1 loss to Catholic League Red Division rival St. Joseph's Prep, Ryan Etsell, a second-team all-Catholic pick as an infielder last year, notched eight strikeouts and yielded seven hits.

On the mound, Etsell, whose fastball has been clocked in the 88-m.p.h. range, is 1-1 with a 1.00 ERA for North (2-3 overall, 1-3 Red Division). From the No. 3 hole, the lefty hitter had a .425 average with two doubles entering Wednesday's play.

His pitching talents have drawn the attention of professional scouts and cross-checkers. A Phillies scout watched him pitch Monday against the Prep. Others keeping tabs on him are the Tigers, Orioles, White Sox, Mets and Marlins.

"He isn't fazed by it," Jeff Etsell said. "He's unflappable. He gets in his zone, does his thing. He's a coach's and father's dream."

Except for his being a lefthanded thrower, Jeff Etsell sees a lot of himself in his son. In 1978, after notching an 11-2 record – and a no-hitter – in his first year at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth, Fla., he was drafted in the third round by the Houston Astros.

Jeff Etsell, then equipped with an 87-m.p.h. fastball and a stellar breaking ball, opted to stay in school. He played one more season at Palm Beach, then moved on to Alabama. A nagging elbow injury derailed his dream of playing pro ball.

"You never see an injury coming," he said. "I thought things were only going to get better for me. I played through the injury and was still effective, but I wasn't the same pitcher. It was a nice journey, though."

At Alabama, Etsell met Nancy, a 5-11 volleyball standout. The couple later agreed that Jeff would be Mr. Mom during the day, watching the boys, and Nancy, an administrative coordinator at Temple's Kornberg School of Dentistry, would take over at night while Jeff earned extra income as a bartender at Chickie's & Pete's in Mayfair.

Ryan Etsell, clocked at 91 m.p.h. last summer, mixes a fastball, slider, change-up and knuckle-curveball. Before deciding to concentrate on baseball this year, he was a quarterback in football and wing guard in basketball.

He chose Marshall over Penn State, Richmond, North Florida and Florida Southern. If he continues to impress the radar gun-wielding folks behind the cage, college could be put on the back burner.

"I would definitely think about turning pro right away," Ryan Etsell said. "If I get drafted, it's something me and my dad would talk over. And his experience in this area, I'm sure, would be valuable."