COURTESY PHOTO BY HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS
Holy Cross second baseman and Lynn native Cam O’Neill is making the transition to summer baseball in the NECBL.
By JOSHUA KUMMINS
It was a banner spring for New England college baseball as the region sent five teams to the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever.
Cam O’Neill and his Holy Cross team were oh-so-close to making it six, falling to Navy in a Patriot League Championship Series that went the three-game distance.
A 1-0 loss to the Midshipmen in the ultimate contest on May 23 left a sour taste, but the Lynn native is already looking ahead to helping the Crusaders reach a little bit higher next spring.
“It was definitely tough losing 1-0 in that game three, but we’re not hanging our heads about it,” O’Neill said. “We’re looking forward to getting back there. We know we can do it, so we’re really excited about next year and getting to where we want to be.”
As June hits in stride, the focus for many New Englanders playing collegiate baseball shifts to the summer season. The St. Mary’s and Buckingham, Browne & Nichols product is just getting into the swing of things with the New England Collegiate League’s Valley Blue Sox, based in Holyoke.
The Patriot League’s Rookie of the Year in 2015, O’Neill endured a tough start for the Crusaders this spring. But right around the time of the team’s return north, the former St. Mary’s Spartan turned a corner.
When all was said and done, the rising junior second baseman sat third on the team with a .279 batting average and 56 hits.
“He struggled defensively at the outset of the year and I think that was starting to trickle into some of his offensive struggles as well,” Crusaders head coach Greg DiCenzo said. “But after he started to have a little bit more success offensively, his defensive game came around.”
O’Neill reached base safely in all but one of the Crusaders’ final 27 games. There was no real secret to turning things around, except for returning to regular routines on campus in Worcester.
With the summer underway, O’Neill has kept up with his routines as he gets acclimated to his new teammates. He hopes success can follow along.
“One thing I noticed I was doing towards the end of the college season was hitting on my own sometimes twice a day outside of practice,” O’Neill said. “And ever since I got (to Holyoke), I’ve been hitting every day with a bunch of guys. I’ve been doing that, so I’m feeling comfortable at the plate.”
DiCenzo knew all along that O’Neill ― who also played hockey and golf during his high school career ― would turn things around.
“He’s a tough kid and the ultimate competitor,” DiCenzo said. “He’s a hockey player, a tough, hard-nosed kid. And he expects perfection out of himself, which I think is why he was certainly one of the top guys I’ve recruited here at Holy Cross. He’s the perfect fit.”
The summer season is all about exposure and getting better, so O’Neill hopes he can put together a strong performance and work his way to the NECBL All-Star Game, this year set for July 17 in Newport, R.I.
“It would be great to see where I stand with some of the best players in one of the best leagues in the country,” O’Neill said. “That’s a goal for me, but also just go get better. That’s why we’re all out here playing summer ball, just to improve to get back to our college teams.”
The Blue Sox entered this week just three games into the season, but O’Neill’s first two appearances were a good start to achieving his All-Star goal. He hit a home run in Valley’s 14-4 win on Monday night at Danbury, after going 2-for-4 with an RBI in his season debut Friday at North Adams.
Getting better this summer is the first focus for O’Neill, but shooting for the stars is inevitable as one climbs up the baseball ladder.
As each summer day passes, there is motivation for the future. Next year, and beyond.
“I just want to improve every day as a player to help winning a Patriot League title for the Crusaders,” O’Neill said. “And eventually, hopefully, reach a goal of mine of playing professional baseball.”
Names and notes
- Boston College’s historic season came to an end one win shy of the College World Series on Sunday as the Eagles ― winners of 35 games for the first time since 2005 ― dropped a 9-4 decision to Miami in the third game of its Super Regional series at Miami. Peabody’s Austin Batchelor did not see any action on the mound this season.
- Lynnfield native and St. John’s Prep grad Justin Foley’s second appearance for the Futures Collegiate Baseball League’s Nashua Silver Knights came against the North Shore Navigators at Fraser Field on Friday night. The rising Bates College sophomore pitched an inning in Nashua’s 11-4 win, striking out one.
- The Navigators earned their first win of the season on Sunday in Pittsfield, ending the first full week of the season with a 1-8 record. Worcester Academy graduate Alex Brickman, headed to Siena this fall, has been a welcome addition to the roster as he leads the team with a .333 batting average (6-for-18) and has fanned eight in 5.2 innings on the mound.
- Another former Eagle, Bailey Klein is off to a strong start with the FCBL’s Brockton Rox. The Salem native and George Mason University product recorded a hit and a run scored in a 5-4 loss to Wachusett on Saturday night. Two of Klein’s first three hits this summer were doubles, while he also drew three walks in his first five games.
- Outside the New England region, Lynnfield’s Tyler Noe is off to a strong start with the New York Collegiate League’s Saugerties Stallions with a .348 average through eight games. A rising junior at UMass Lowell, Noe went 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBI on Friday night against Albany.
Joshua Kummins can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKummins.
