Peyton Seibert is a big fan of Major League Baseball.

Perhaps major leaguers should be big fans of him.

Seibert, 8, a Center Township Elementary School second grader, has pulled off two unassisted triple plays this season — something no big leaguer has ever done.

What makes it even more special is the plays occurred only five games into the Center Township Athletic Association's Pinto League season.

"The first time he did it, I was going crazy and all the other moms just looked at me, not realizing what had just happened," said Michelle Seibert, Peyton's mother.

"When it happened a second time, everybody just laughed. We couldn't believe it."

Coaches do the pitching at the Pinto League level, which his for players ages 7 and 8. While one coach pitches, other coaches stand around the outfield positioning their fielders.

On the league's opening day April 24, Seibert's Oneida Heights Storage Blue Jays played the Bon Aire Distributor Reds.

The Reds had runners at first and second with nobody out when Seibert, who was playing first base, caught a pop fly near the bag.

"At this level, everyone on base just starts running when the ball is hit," Blue Jays coach Shawn Stanton said.

Seibert immediately stepped on first to force that runner, then raced toward second and stepped on that bag to force out the other runner and to complete the triple play.

"All of the coaches in the outfield were looking at each other, wondering 'What the heck is going on?' We kept asking each other if somebody told Peyton what to do there," Stanton said.

"Nobody did. He did that on his own."

Seibert shrugged his shoulders when asked how he knew the way to complete the triple play.

"I watch a lot of baseball. I know the rules," he said. "I would have thrown the ball to the second baseman, but he wasn't looking. So I just ran over there myself.

"I usually watch at least one game a week. I get home in time to catch the end of most of the Pirate games, too."

His mother described Peyton as a sports junkie.

"We watch "Mike & Mike" (an ESPN talk show) every morning before school," she said. "It's like a ritual with us. We're originally from Ohio and are big Cleveland Indian fans."

Seibert's second unassisted triple play took place May 15 against the NexTier Bank Yankees. This time, he was playing shortstop.

"We move all of our kids to different positions all the time," Stanton said.

Again, runners were on first and second. The ball was popped up near the second base bag and Seibert caught it. He stepped on second and outran the runner trying to get back to first base.

"Peyton runs pretty good and he had to be quick there because that kid was trying hard to get back to the base," Stanton said.

"You don't even see double plays, no stuff like that in Little League. I wish we had videotaped those plays. I'd have sent them to ESPN or something," he added.

Seibert received game balls for each triple play. Those balls now sit inside clear cases on the mantle above the fireplace in his family's home.

"He wouldn't let anybody write anything on the balls," Michelle Seibert said. "You can't write on a game ball, he told us. So we wrote the information on the bottom of each case."

Since 1876, there have been only 15 unassisted triple plays in major league baseball. There has been one in each of the past three seasons.

Seibert also is playing in the Butler County Area Soccer Association this spring and has scored three goals.

"Baseball and soccer are tied for my favorite sport," he said.

If he had to choose one?

"Baseball," he declared. "My favorite positions are first and second base. That's where you can get most of the outs.

"Third base and home — not many runners make it that far."

Certainly not with him patrolling the infield.