BRADENTON, Fla. — His first professional season now complete, Nick Patten is at a higher level than he's ever been.

But it's still baseball.

That's how the Butler resident and former Golden Tornado athlete approached this summer as a member of the Gulf Coast League Pirates in Bradenton.

“The caliber of ball is a little better than Division 1,” Patten said of the Gulf Coast League, a rookie league. “You're playing with and against other first-year players.

“But all of these guys were drafted for a reason. They're pretty darn good.”

Patten completed his junior season at the University of Delaware in the spring and the first baseman was the 28th-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in June.

Patten, who turns 22 on Sept. 12, played in 37 of the GCL Pirates' 52 games this summer. He hit .195, collecting 23 hits in 118 at bats, but had five doubles, two triples and three home runs. His home run total was second on the team.

His 37 games played were second on the squad as well.

“I didn't worry about my numbers,” Patten said. “I hit the ball hard, a lot of times right at people, or someone would make a great play.

“I was satisfied with the way I played.”

The GCL Pirates' manager was Dave Turgeon, who reached Class AAA as a player. Scouts, other coaches and administrative personnel dropped in on the team during the season as well.

“The Pirates are very consistent throughout their system,” Patten said. “They do everything the same with their players, from the major league club all the way through the farm system. They are very detail-oriented.

“Down here, they basically just let us play. We weren't coached all that much. They wanted us to show what we can do at first. They want to see what they have to work with, since we're all just entering the team's system.”

Patten committed only one error all season at first base.

“The guys came up with the nickname 'Pick 'em Patten' for me,” Patten said, laughing. “That was pretty cool.

The training regimen for the GCL Pirates was anything but cool.

Six days a week, the team held practice from 8:30 until 10:30 a.m. GCL games were played at noon each day. Teams did not play on Sundays.

“Those were long days,” Patten said. “The temperature was anywhere from 95 to 100 on most days. I never sweat so much in my life.

“But, you're still playing baseball. Your career goes in cycles. I had to prove myself when I first went to IMG Academy (high school in Bradenton). Then I had to prove myself when I first went to Delaware. Now I have to prove myself here.”

And he finds no pressure in doing so.

“You can't look at it like you're playing for the money or as a job,” Patten said. “You play for the joy and passion of playing the game. That's how I look at it.

“Baseball is still a kid's game. I'm fortunate to still be playing. I loved playing as a kid and I love playing now. I'm grateful every day I take the field.”

Patten is back home in Butler now, but only briefly. He reports to the Florida Instructional League Sept. 10 for an approximate two-week training period.

After that, he doesn't report to the Pirates again until spring training.

“It's been a fun year,” Patten said. “I'm not playing to impress people. I'm just playing ball. I have to let the other stuff take care of itself.”