Cam Careswell, Lee’s Summit West class of 2021, has had an extraordinary 2020. The left-handed pitcher and first baseman announced this summer his commitment to play baseball at Mizzou, and he recently earned 2020 First Team All-State recognition for his performance on the football field. Cam shares his recruiting experience and why he chose baseball over football.
To kick things off, can you share your recruiting experience with the University of Missouri…why did you pick Mizzou and what type of conversations did you have with the coaching staff?
Mizzou has been my dream school since I was little. I was raised a Mizzou fan and have had several family members graduate from there. I love everything about the school: the campus, the coaching staff, the academic programs, the baseball facilities, and the chance to compete in the best conference in the nation.
Coach Bieser and his staff first saw me when I attended a camp there during my freshman year. I tried to go to as many camps there as I could because I really wanted to play there and I knew that the camps were a great way to get exposure to the coaches. They also saw me several different times when we played at Mizzou.
Coach Silvestri played a huge part in my recruiting by helping me get in touch with the coaches. I can’t thank him enough for all his help. From the first time I talked to the coaches, I let them know that Mizzou was my dream school and it was the place I wanted to be. I told them that if they offered me I would commit on the spot and that’s exactly what happened.
Not many kids make it to their dream school. Congratulations on attaining your goal! Now that you’ve been through the recruiting process, what advice would you give to younger IE players?
The best thing you can do is to reach out to college coaches and go to camps so they know that you are really interested. It’s really hard to stand out at a huge showcase with hundreds of kids. Also, make sure that you are working hard in the classroom. One of the first things that college coaches always ask about is your grades. Getting good grades and getting a good score on the ACT will open up lots of opportunities to play college baseball.
That’s great advice–we’re stressing more and more that kids attend camps, so your story supports that recruiting strategy. Switching gears just a bit, you are also a stand-out on the football field, culminating with a First Team All-State award this season. Why did you pick baseball over football?
I always loved both baseball and football but eventually, I had to make a decision on which sport I was going to continue to play at the next level. I knew that I was probably going to get better offers to play baseball because I play defensive end in football and I am a bit undersized to play that position in college. When I got the chance to play baseball at Mizzou that was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
In addition to hard work, you’ve also had to deal with a pesky knee injury. What happened and how has that experience affected you?
It’s the biggest challenge I’ve had to overcome. I have had 3 knee surgeries: I tore my ACL twice and had another surgery for a torn meniscus. I think I’ve had over 200 sessions in physical therapy from those 3 injuries. The hardest part of dealing with an injury was having to sit and watch my team play and not being able to be out on the field with them
You joined IE in its first season. What has playing here meant to you?
Inside Edge is really special to me because of the many great memories throughout the years. Some of my best friends started out as my teammates from Inside Edge. Todd Clausen and Dave Silvestri were incredible in teaching me so much about the game of baseball and in helping me through the recruiting process.
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