SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Nansemond-Suffolk Academy fourth-grader Christopher Applewhite Jr. is a finalist for the Sports Illustrated Youth Athlete of the Year.
The nine-year-old is a baseball phenom that plays up in his age group on a travel team and leads his team in batting average and home runs and excels at his academics.
“He eats, sleeps and breaths his sports and his academics,” said Applewhite’s father, Chris Applewhite. “I think that’s what athlete of the year is.”
Christopher’s mother, Tiffani Applewhite, was a basketball standout at Landstown High School, and while she tried to steer her son towards hoops, he naturally gravitated towards baseball.
“He’s been playing baseball since he was about six and his work ethic is out of this world,” Tiffani Applewhite said. “He works hard on his game and he’s worked hard to get on a travel team.”
Christopher’s favorite MLB team is the Dodgers, and his favorite player is Shohei Ohtani. His favorite subject in school is math and one of his favorite things about baseball is continuing to get better.
“When I make a mistake, I like to correct the mistake and listen to what my coach tells me to do to help me get better at what I did wrong so I can succeed at what I’m trying to do,” Christopher Applewhite Jr. said.
Christopher Applewhite Jr. pitches, plays the outfield and plays the infield, and says he loves stealing bases.
Voting for this round of the SI Youth Athlete of the Year ends at 10 p.m. on Thursday.
To cast your vote, go here.