Hard Work, Development Help Left-Handed Pitcher Cam Guarino Commit to Top D-2 School
Cam Guarino, LHP, ’17
At Cam Guarino‘s first Baseball Factory event, he was a short, 150-pound left-handed pitcher. At 14-years-old, Cam impressed the Baseball Factory coaches at a 2014 National Tryout in Lewiston, Maine.
At that National Tryout, Cam also got key advice about his pitching mechanics, which have since helped gain the lefty some velocity.
“I remember the event vividly, partially because I was so worried that I would do bad and this was my first showcase ever,” Cam said. “What stands out the most from the event was the advice I got from one of the coaches there. The advice, which I took to heart, was to bend more and extend out towards the plate. This added velocity to my pitches and created the opportunity for me to be selected as an Under Armour Preseason All-American.”
Playing his first three years of high school ball on varsity for Falmouth High School in Maine, Cam owns a 22-2 record and a 0.53 ERA. His high school success, and his performance at Baseball Factory events, got Cam interest from colleges.
Cam said he does not know if he would be committed to New Haven right now if it weren’t for Baseball Factory.
“I don’t think I would be at a D-II level, and I don’t think I would have gotten as many looks from higher up, like the D-I, D-II programs, if I didn’t have Baseball Factory,” Cam said. “They really gave me key and critical information about pitching and being a student-athlete. If I didn’t have that information, I don’t think I would be where I am right now with New Haven.”
His mother, Elizabeth, agrees.
Proud to announce my commitment to the New Haven Chargers @BaseballUNH @CoachCelano pic.twitter.com/M3ripkZS8s
— Cam Guarino (@CameronGuarino) July 25, 2016
“I made that decision because I knew that New Haven will give me an amazing overall college experience and a great education with competitive baseball,” Cam said. “After visiting and meeting with [head] coach Chris Celano and [assistant] coach [Mike] Mac [Millan], I took a week to take in the whole experience because it was such an enjoyable visit. After that week, it was clear to me that New Haven was where I wanted to be. Also, I felt like Coach Celano and Coach Mac were there to see me succeed not only as a player, but as a student and an overall person.”
What makes all of his accomplishments thus far even more impressive is that Cam is younger than most people in his grade. Cam’s birthday, Oct, 29, is late enough that some kids are held back a year. For example, Cam will be 17 years old for the first few months in college.
Despite his young age, his future college coach notices the maturity and poise Cam carries with him.
Cam Guarino at the Team One Showcase
In addition to the 2014 National Tryout, Cam has attended a College PREP in Rindge, New Hampshire, a National Tryout in Lewiston, Maine, as well as two Under Armour Preseason All-America Tournaments and the 2016 Under Armour Team One National South Showcase. Cam was also invited to play in his third Under Armour Preseason All-America Tournament in 2017.
Cam said he learned what it took to play at the next level and what he needed to work on moving forward from both of the Under Armour Preseason All-America Tournaments.
“Being at the tournament gave me an opportunity to play with dedicated and exceptional baseball players,” Cam said. “Also, I learned by being around these players what it takes to play at a national level. I knew I needed to get stronger and I was dedicated to coming back again each year to see my improvements. I am looking forward to coming back again next year.”
Today, Cam is 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, gaining 30-40 pounds in the past two years. The workouts he has done over the past two years have helped him get stronger, giving him more power on the mound.
His father, Peter, thinks that was the key that opened up the doors for Cam’s baseball career.
“I think what impressed him the most was the feedback that he got at the first College PREP,” Peter said. “He got some really good advice from some coaches, not just about coaches, but about how to get stronger. He took away from it that he needs to get stronger and he needs to run. He had all the ball movement he needs, but he needed that velocity from his legs. He worked those next years trying to get stronger and trying to improve his velocity.”
At the Under Armour Baseball Factory Team One National South Showcase in late June, Cam, the youngest player at the event, stood out and was featured on a recap of the event by Steve Bernhardt, executive vice president of Baseball Factory.
“The event began with LHP Cam Guarino (Falmouth, ME) doing what we see from him every time he pitches – retire opposing hitters. While he doesn’t light up the radar gun, he used command of his three pitches to retire 9 of the 10 hitters he faced,” writes Bernhardt.
Cam said he sees himself as a “pitch-to-contact” pitcher. He said he relies on his defense to make plays for him, while he focuses on inducing weak contact. What Cam doesn’t own in velocity—yet—he has in pitch arsenal. The southpaw sports a four-seamer, a two-seamer, three different change-up grips he throws in different scenarios, a sweeping curve and a 12-6 curve.
His mother, Elizabeth, was relieved to hear that academics were stressed to her son at each and every Baseball Factory event.
“That’s one of the things that Baseball Factory stressed right off the bat, your grades and academics. Because if you don’t end up in the MLB, you have a great college degree.”
Cam has a 4.0 cumulative GPA and is planning to major in environmental science with a minor in Spanish.
“Baseball Factory is and has been fundamental to my development,” Cam said. “The early Baseball Factory events that I attended provided me with pro-level coaching. The advice and feedback I received I took to heart and implemented to become a better baseball player and an overall better pitcher. Their coaching gave me the confidence I needed to believe in my ability to play at a higher level.”
And it all started with a College PREP in Maine.
Click here to register for College PREPs, like the one Cam went to, and other events.
