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Sports

Former Skipper is a Big Hit in Vermont

Jeff Cammans prepared for his senior season at URI by playing baseball in Vermont.

Determined to finish his career at the University of Rhode Island with a great season, North Kingstown native Jeff Cammans spent this summer playing baseball 250 miles from home in Montpelier, VT.

From the first week in June to the first week in August, Cammans played in 34 games for the Vermont Mountaineers of the New England
Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL). He had the second most hits on the team (29), tied for the second most runs batted in (15) and contributed 11 of the team’s 118 steals, which broke the previous NECBL record of 110.

“It is one of the best summer leagues in the country,” said Cammans. “The level of play is very competitive because you’re playing against some of the best college players in the nation.”

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Cammans’ coaches at URI recommended him for a spot on the Vermont roster.

“I didn’t know Jeff, but we heard good things about him and felt comfortable that he would fit in well with the Montpelier community,” said Brian Gallagher, Vermont’s vice president and general manager. “We were not at all disappointed.”

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Playing several different positions, including two appearances on the mound, Cammans helped lead Vermont to a 26-16 record.

“I think Jeff gained a lot of confidence and stepped up as a leader on this team,” stated Gallagher. “He showed that he can play at this level and hopefully this will help him in his final year at URI.”

URI head coach Jim Foster feels that Cammans benefitted greatly from playing with the Mountaineers.

“I think playing summer ball against some great competition is key to a player’s development and it has certainly helped Jeff,” said Foster.

While Cammans has emerged as one of the leaders on the URI team, his career has had its ups and downs.

After a stellar career at , where he was a three-time All-State selection as a catcher and led the Skippers to two division titles and two appearances in the state championship, Cammans’ transition to college baseball wasn’t exactly seamless.  

His freshman year, Cammans batted only .231 and his on base percentage was a meager .286.

“Everyone who plays for URI was the best player in their respective high school leagues, so getting to college and realizing that many players are better than you was very eye-opening,” admitted Cammans.

Adjusting to the increased time commitment was also difficult.

“The toughest part about transitioning from high school baseball to college was the time required to be a Division 1 baseball player,” said Cammans. “It is like having a full-time job on top of having a full class schedule.”

According to Foster, the mental aspect of the game posed a much larger challenge than the physical.

“For most freshmen, the mental part of the game is difficult,” explained Foster. “Handling the day in and day out grind of the sport is not easy. Jeff has always taken care of himself physically and really dedicated himself to getting stronger.”

In his sophomore season, Cammans showed tremendous improvement. He started in 56 of the Rams’ 58 games, batted .335 with 69 hits, 39 runs, 35 RBI, 11 doubles, four home runs and finished second on the team with 17 stolen bases.

“I attribute the big improvement I made to just getting a year of college baseball under my belt,” said Cammans. “I matured and learned a lot more about the game.”

With his career going in the right direction, Cammans suffered a major setback in the fall of his junior year. An injury to his hamate bone, located at the top of the wrist, forced Cammans to wear a cast for about three months, leaving only four weeks to get ready for the season.

When he returned to the field, he developed complications from the inactivity. After eight games, it was determined that the best course of action would be to redshirt Cammans for the season and undergo physical therapy to get back to full strength.

“It was unbelievably disappointing to injure my wrist and have to redshirt my junior year,” recalled Cammans. “I still remained a part of the team doing what I could both on the field and in the weight room each day. The road to recovery took a lot longer than I would have liked and it was extremely frustrating watching my teammates play, while I was sitting on the bench.”

In time, Cammans’ wrist healed and he bounced back with the best season of his career. Hitting .349 in 52 games, with 47 runs scored, 30 RBI and 22 stolen bases, Cammans was named to the Atlantic 10 Second Team, the Atlantic 10 All-Championship Team and the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week on March 1.

“Being out of baseball for an entire year gives you a lot of time to think about the mental part of the game,” said Cammans. “What made me come back stronger this past season was the fact that I was a smarter baseball player.”

Heading into his senior year, Cammans is focused on doing whatever he can to help his team win.

“I need to be a team leader this year, both on and off the field. I have to make everyone on the team better and not just worry about myself,” said the one-time Wickford Little Leaguer.

If Cammans doesn’t pursue a career in baseball once he graduates, he’ll seek a job in finance, which is his major at URI. Regardless of what the future holds, the former Skipper is sure to demonstrate the same work ethic he’s shown throughout his high school and college career.

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