PATRIOT LEDGER.COM: Raynham's Campbell nears end of memorable baseball career at Bryant

May 21, 2010

RAYNHAM'S CAMPBELL NEARS END OF MEMORABLE BASEBALL CAREER AT BRYANT

By Jim Fenton
The Enterprise
Posted May 19, 2010

Click here to read Jim Fenton's full article on PatriotLedger.com

His first day as a member of the Bryant University baseball team in the fall of 2006 was an eye-opening experience.

Nick Campbell of Raynham reported to practice, looked around at his new teammates and noticed immediately how much bigger everyone else was.

“I’m just a small, 5-9, 150-pound kid who was with a bunch of bigger players, like our first baseman, who was 6-4, 225 pounds,’’ said Campbell. “I was like, ‘Wow, it seems like I’m way out of my league.’ 

“I was wondering how would I compare to all these guys that are so much bigger than I am. I just felt like I was out of place with my size. That was my first reaction.’’

Four seasons later, it is safe to say that Campbell was never once out of his league as a member of the Bulldogs.

When his sensational, record-breaking career comes to an end this week, Campbell will go down as one of the best players in the history of the Bryant program.

The center fielder has set school records for hits (an incredible 332), games (229), at-bats (955) and doubles (55) and is second in RBI (173) and third in runs (173).

Four years of brilliance will conclude on Friday afternoon when Bryant (31-21) hosts Sacred Heart in Smithfield, R.I., the 233rd and final game of Campbell’s remarkable run.

“I couldn’t really ask for more,’’ said Campbell, a Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High graduate. “It was a heckuva ride.’’

He was a success playing two seasons in the Div. 2 wood-bat Northeast-10 Conference and continued to hit during two years playing against Div. 1 competition in the Northeast Conference.

Campbell batted .291 as a freshman with 76 hits, .358 as a sophomore with 97 hits, .375 as a junior with 84 hits and is hitting .377 with 75 hits and four games remaining this season.

A career .348 hitter, Campbell got into a groove early in career and just kept improving at the plate.

“He’s been amazing,’’ said Bryant coach Jamie Pinzino. “The numbers he’s put up are ridiculous. He’s so even-keeled. He doesn’t get fazed. He just moves on to the next at bat. Nobody can get a fastball by him. No doubt about it, it’s impossible to replace a guy like that.’’

Campbell knew little about the Bryant program when he was recruited out of B-R, but the opportunity to step in as a starting outfielder as a freshman was appealing.

He led the Bulldogs in hits, doubles, and RBI and made the All-NE-10 third team, then followed that up with a spot on the all-conference and all-region first team as a sophomore.

“As the first fall went on, I just tried my best and things went my way,’’ said Campbell, who was recently named to Bryant’s all-decade team. “After that, I got the hang of it. I got used to the pitching, I got used to the wood bats.

“I actually was surprised. I didn’t think I could handle the wood bats so fast in the first year. I had two great coaches helping me with drills throughout the fall and the winter, so when the spring came, I was ready to hit.’’

After two seasons in the NE-10, Campbell moved to Div. 1 when Bryant made the shift from Div. 2. Using aluminum bats, his production at the plate increased against the higher competition.

Campbell broke the school record of 247 career hits during his junior year, surpassing the mark set in 1999. He reached the 300-hit mark this season on April 24 against Fairleigh Dickinson.

“It’s an amazing feeling,’’ said Campbell. “Freshman year, I led the team in hits and it was like, ‘Wow, this is pretty cool.’ Going through the years, once I got to 200 my junior year, I thought I could turn this into 300.’’

The hits just kept on coming for Campbell, no matter the level of competition he was up against.

“It was pretty much bearing down at the plate, making contact, trying your hardest with two strikes and putting the ball in play and making something happen,’’ he said. “I would call myself a contact hitter. I rarely strike out. I’m not a power guy. I get a lot of singles and put the ball in play and use my speed.’’

Campbell has been reliable, starting all 229 games in his four seasons at Bryant.

“They put a lot of faith in me and I just tried to reward them by doing the best I can out there,’’ he said. “It’s a great feeling knowing they have the confidence in me.’’

In addition to being a tough out at the plate, Campbell has been one of the top defensive players in the region. In four seasons, he has made just five errors and earned a national Rawlings Gold Glove as a sophomore.

“He is an outstanding defensive center field,’’ said Pinzino. “He’s as good as there is from a defensive standpoint.’’

On Friday afternoon, Campbell will make his final appearance in a Bryant uniform when the 233rd game of his game takes place.

The Bulldogs are bidding for the Northeast Conference regular-season title, but because they are in a transition period, they are not eligible for the postseason tournament.

“It’s definitely going to be bittersweet,’’ said Campbell. “I’ve accomplished so much. It’s a great feeling to accomplish what I have, but it’s going to be bittersweet because I love baseball and this could be the end for me.

“It’s a great feeling to do what I’ve done here. How many great players came through this system and accomplished what they did? The records I broke, it’s just amazing. I didn’t think I could do it. I don’t even know what to say.’’