Cartas ‘took care of business’ on the gridiron and baseball field

For recent Marysville-Pilchuck graduate Levi Cartas, the past month and a half has represented the opportunity of a lifetime. On June 11, a scout for the Kansas City Royals called Cartas and told him that they would like to send him a contract to play for the organization, a move that took the 19-year old by surprise.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Cartas said. “I honestly didn’t think I’d get drafted. It was a dream come true, every baseball player wants to get drafted and being this early, it was kind of crazy.”

Cartas starred for the Tomahawks both on the gridiron and the baseball diamond.

Last fall, he earned first-team offensive honors as a wide receiver and safety during Marysville Pilchuck’s 9-0 league season.

“It was very exciting this year being so good and being able to beat everybody, and having it be my senior year, to go out like that,” Cartas recalled.

But the lanky 6-foot-3, 175-pound athlete’s first love is baseball, which has carried on from his days of tee-ball when he was six years old up through select leagues and finally a playoff-contending high school team.

The speedy Cartas patrolled right field this year for the Tomahawks and, like Ichiro of the Mariners, was an extremely effective leadoff hitter, seeming always find a way to get the job done.

“There’s an old saying that speed never slumps, and boy, he’s fast,” said Tomahawk head baseball coach Kurt Koshelnik. “Other kids hit a routine ground ball to shortstop, they do that three or four times and they’re 0-for-3, 0-for-4, and Levi might get three hits out of that. He put pressure on the other teams, and he could always bail himself out. As long as he could keep hitting line drives or ground balls, he always had a chance to get on base.”

Koshelnik, a second-year coach, also lauded Cartas’ even-keeled temperament and his ability to be a silent leader in the clubhouse.

“Levi had a real quiet confidence,” Koshenlik observed. “We all knew that he was going to take care of business. He’s not a real ‘rah-rah’ guy, never seems to get real high on anything, which is good for baseball.”

Cartas told the Globe that he hasn’t decided whether he will sign with the Royals organization or not, citing that financial talks were pending, but has had discussions with his coach. Cartas expressed that “Coach K” was very interactive with his players and offered good advice, being young and more understanding about what his kids were going through.

Koshelnik, however, spoke from experience when he expressed that playing collegiate baseball will help Cartas develop into a more complete player.

“He’s a real good ballplayer right now, but he future is only going to get brighter. He’s got a little bit of weight to put on and he’s going to learn how to hit a little bit better, see some better pitching in college, and get to play every day, that’s a big deal,” said Koshelnik, who played for the University of Washington. “When you get to play under somebody every day, you grow big time baseball-wise. That’s what I hope to see him do.”

With the knowledge that he can get selected throughout his college playing days, Cartas may also be leaning in that direction.

“(If I play) it will probably be at Everett Community College. Hopefully I’ll improve from there, get drafted again and make another decision,” he said.

Cartas looked back on his days playing prep baseball fondly, recalling the day the team beat Snohomish last year at Districts as a highlight, along with going to the 4A state championship the last two years.

“Going to state was very exciting, although we lost,” Cartas said. “It was a good experience.”

And whichever path Cartas decides to take, the lightning-quick kid that runs down fly balls and beats out infield singles will have his hard work pay off in the end.

“I’m playing baseball every day in the summer, working hard in the offseason is all you do, really,” said Cartas when asked what advice he’d give other prep players looking to excel in the sport. “Stay focused, you gotta set your mind to it and try get through it. I’ve had so many great coaches throughout the years… and everybody in my family, my friends. They all help you get to the points that are critical.”