The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Harvey’s Chappell commits to Heidelberg
Cameron Chappell started as a freshman for Harvey’s baseball team. By the time his junior year arrived, the right-hander was prepared to showcase himself to the next level.
Chappell struck out 80 batters over 51 innings to rank among the area’s strikeout leaders in 2019. When he attended a showcase at Heidelberg, the coaching staff offered him on the spot.
Between the baseball program, the school’s environment and the studies offered, Chappell chose to commit to Heidelberg.
“I pretty much just saw it as a year for me to put my name out there for colleges to see,” Chappell said. “I wanted to see if I could attract anybody. It was just a bunch of blood, sweat and tears I had put in to extend my name out there.”
Alongside his pursuits on the baseball field, Heidelberg also recognized Chappell’s academic prowess.
Chappell is a recipient of a Heidelberg Trustees Award, a four-year scholarship based on his standing in the incoming freshman class, high school GPA, an essay, standardized test scores, leadership abilities, community service and interviews with Heidelberg officials.
At Heidelberg, Chappell said he plans to study sports medicine to pursue a career as an athletic trainer. He liked the school’s smaller campus, located two hours west of Painesville in Tiffin.
“It fits pretty well with Harvey,” Chappell said.
“Maybe 200, 300 kids extra, that class fits me very well. I don’t really want to go to a big school, I’d rather stay at a small, kind of local school staying relatively close to home.”
Chappell throws a fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. He said his fastball topped out at 88 mph during his junior season.
The innings played as a freshman and sophomore helped Chappell put together his breakout season, as well as the guidance received playing for coach Mark McNamara and his staff.
“I got some more experience
under my belt,” Chappell said. “I definitely got better at reading batters and then trying to figure out what the right pitch to throw at them in certain moments. It was easier for me to read the situation and go from there.”
At Heidelberg, Chappell said he hopes to become one of the program’s top pitchers and possibly pursue a professional career following college.
As he finishes his final month of high school, Chappell and his senior teammates were disappointed they couldn’t play a final season together.
“It was definitely heartbreaking because I thought I could definitely improve from last year and try to go for at least a minimum of 100 strikeouts on the season,” Chappell said.