EnterpriseNews.com: Raynham’s Campbell becomes Bryant’s all-time career hits leader as a junior

EnterpriseNews.com
COLLEGE NOTES: Raynham's Campbell becomes Bryant's all-time career hits leader as a junior

The former B-R standout sets mark in only three seasons.

Courtesy EnterpriseNews.com
Staff Writer Jim Fenton
May 28, 2009

Nick Campbell of Raynham needed only three seasons to break the Bryant University record

for hits in a baseball career.

By the time the former Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High standout plays his final game next spring, Campbell should own a few more of the Bulldogs' marks.

The junior center fielder moved into the Bryant record books on May 2 when he surpassed the 248 hits compiled by Jason Eldridge from 1996 to 1999. Campbell broke the mark with a two-run home run against Wheaton College on May 2. With a full season remaining at the Smithfield, R.I., school, Campbell has 257 hits and a .340 career batting average.

"It's unbelievable,'' Bryant coach Jamie Pinzino said about the record being broken in three seasons. "It's one of the most impressive achievements I've seen at the college level. To do it in three years is amazing.

"He's very aggressive at the plate. He runs very well and he gets infield hits and bunts, too. He never gets down about a bad at-bat. He doesn't let it affect him, he just gets up with a clear head and gets back on track.''

Campbell is within reach to break several other Bryant records, including games played, at-bats, RBI and doubles. With 177 games under his belt, Campbell is 33 shy of the record for most games played in a career. He has 132 RBI, 50 away from the Byrant mark; 756 at-bats, leaving him 47 away from the record; and 45 doubles, nine short of the school mark.

The Bulldogs were in the Div. 2 Northeast-10 Conference in Campbell's first two seasons, but they began the transition for an eventual move to the Div. 1 Northeast Conference this season.

Facing a number of Div. 1 teams did not slow down Campbell, as he was second on the team with a career-best .375 average, going 84-for-224 in 54 games with 11 doubles and three home runs. Bryant finished 32-22 and was ranked fifth in the New England Div. 1 poll.

Campbell made the All-NE-10 first team as a sophomore when he hit a team-best .358 with 97 hits (just missing the Bryant record of 99) and 45 RBI and was on the all-conference third team as a freshman, getting 76 hits with 45 RBI.

He has started all 177 games at Bryant since arriving in the 2007 season and has stolen 39 bases.

In addition to being a top hitter, Campbell has excelled in the field. He is one of only three Div. 2 outfielders nationally to receive a 2008 Rawlings Gold Glove after making only one error and posting a .993 fielding percentage. Campbell had just one error in 111 chances this season and has made three errors in his career.

"He's definitely one of the best defensive outfielders around,'' said Pinzino. "He gets a good jump off the bat and he's got real good speed to track balls down.''

Campbell will be playing for the Battle Creek (Mich.) Bombers of the Northwoods League this summer with the opening game today against the Duluth Huskies. He was with the Little Falls Miners of the N.Y. Collegiate Baseball League last summer, hitting .306.

Tempesta finishes second:

Adam Tempesta of Brockton finished his University of Massachusetts baseball career second on the all-time hits list with 239. Muchie Dagliere holds the school record with 257.

The second baseman established new UMass records with 54 doubles and 747 at-bats in his career. He also set a record by playing in 182 games, passing Steve Corradi, who appeared in 178. Tempesta, who ranks among the all-time leaders in total bases, RBI and sacrifice flies, helped UMass reach the Atlantic 10 tournament for the first time since 2003 where it went 2-2.

In his senior season, the former Enterprise All-Scholastic batted .341 with 72 hits in 48 games. He had 19 doubles, one shy of the school record, five home runs and 35 RBI.

Read more from Jim Fenton at http://www.enterprisenews.com/sports/x157151592/COLLEGE-NOTES-Raynham-s-Campbell-becomes-Bryant-s-all-time-career-hits-leader-as-a-junior?view=print

Staff writer Jim Fenton's Colleges appears twice a week in The Enterprise. He can be reached at jfenton@enterprisenews.com.