Christian Waltz leads way for Paul VI baseball

Back when he was fast, Christian Waltz was an outfielder in youth baseball.

“I’m not that fast anymore” the Paul VI senior said without complaint.

Waltz played third base for a while before settling behind the plate as a freshman in the Eagles’ program.

“I think I missed my calling when I was younger,” Waltz said of his relatively late start as a catcher.

Setting up behind the dish seems the ideal spot for Waltz. He’s nicknamed “The General” because of his business-like manner, air of authority, and high standards.

Plus, there’s probably no better place for the only senior on a young team that relies heavily on his squared-away style of leadership.

“It’s the best position,” Waltz said. “You’re working with the pitcher. You’re working with the fielders.

“Every call, every play, you are in on it.”

Paul VI coach Brett Young said Waltz was key to guiding the Eagles through a slow start to the season.

After losing four of their first five, the Eagles have gone 8-2 to raise their record to 9-6. They entered the Inquirer Top 25 at the No. 24 spot after upsetting No. 6 Eastern on Wednesday.

“I used him as a rallying cry,” Young said of Waltz. “I said, ‘He’s our only senior, he’s been here four years, busted his tail, and I don’t want him going out with a team that’s 5-15.’"

Waltz, who lives in Haddon Township, said he enjoys working with the team’s young pitching staff. He doesn’t cut the kids any slack, though.

“I’m not a big coddle guy, to be honest,” Waltz said. “They do their job if they know I’ve got nothing to say.

“But sometimes you have to give them a little kick in the butt to get them going in the right direction.”

Freshman pitcher John Ormsby, a talented left-hander, said Waltz’s leadership has been vital for the Eagles.

“He’s always with us,” Ormsby said. “He’s a great leader, always telling us what to do. He’s always focused.”

Waltz said he earned his nickname from an AAU coach a couple of summers ago.

“He was like, ‘You know, you’ve got some leadership qualities and you always look like you’re ready to beat somebody up,’ ” Waltz said. “He said, ‘I’m going to start calling you ‘The General’ and it kind of just stuck.”

Young said the nickname fits Waltz because of his tough-minded approach to the sport and his insistence on accountability – for his teammates and himself.

“He’s not afraid and he’s been that way since he was a freshman,” Young said. “He’s not afraid to get on his teammates and he’s not afraid to get on himself, more importantly.

“He takes a look and he’s verbal about how he’s done well and how he’s done bad and what he needs to improve on. He tries to instill that in our guys.”

Through 14 games, Waltz was batting .243 with three doubles and a team-high 11 walks.

Waltz is a top student who plans to attend the University of Scranton and major in biology, with an eye toward medical school. He’s not sure if he will try to play baseball for the NCAA Division III Royals.

“It might be tough with the time demands with bio,” Waltz said.

Waltz said the Eagles, despite their youth, have the potential to develop into a team to watch in South Jersey over the last month of the season.

“I think this team absolutely can turn this season around,” Waltz said. “It’s just a matter of if we want to do it.”