Seth's successful detour to softball
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday June 21, 2019 11:41
Seth used to play lawn tennis at Phikwe Primary School. But her mother transferred her to Masedi Primary School at her home village of Tonota.
The move shattered the young girl’s dreams, as there were no tennis courts in the village. She shifted to netball until she completed her primary school.
Seth started playing softball at the age of 13 at Rutwang Secondary School as a pitcher. “I felt that tennis and softball were almost similar, hence I fell head over heels with the latter. It was love at first sight,” she says with a smile.
Seth is a pitcher and an outfielder for Police IX and national women’s team.
She was instrumental when the women’s team won the Tokyo 2020 Africa qualifier that was held in Pretoria in May.
Botswana has booked a spot, together with South Africa, at the WBSC Europe-Africa Softball qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
It was in Pretoria where Seth cemented her place as one of the best pitchers on the continent when she was crowned pitcher of the tournament.
Prior to that, she scooped best pitcher at the Jwaneng Komatsu Easter tournament before wrapping up the season by bagging the BoFiNeT 2018-2019 softball league’s best pitcher.
“Softball has always been a huge part of my life. I went for my senior secondary education in Shashe, where I met Mathews Masole who harnessed my talent. I got my first national team call up in 2007 where I was regarded as one of the best Under-19 pitchers and I was in the junior women championship in Netherlands,” she says.
Seth earned her second national team call-up in 2010 when she was part of the senior women team during the Zone VI Championships, now Region 5, in Lesotho.
She continued to excel in the field and her national team involvement includes participation at the 2011 ISF Under-19 in Cape Town and 2013 WBSC Championships in Haarlem, Netherlands.
“I am a right handed pitcher and my best pitch is an inside curve pitch. The fastest pitch I ever threw was 68 miles,” Seth says.
The jovial 28-year-old says she has won various awards because of the best catchers she has in Goitseone Munyadzwe at the national team and Boitumelo Majaga at Police.
Seth adds that she has been blessed with good back up and batters. She feels progressing into the second leg of Tokyo 2020 qualifiers is a huge achievement and comes with more hard work. Besides sweating off on the diamond pitch, Seth works at the Ministry of Health and Wellness in Gaborone as a senior records officer.
“I have been blessed with a three-year-old daughter. I am a fourth born in my family of five,” she says.