Quick Hits: Cam Boardman

Second-year Nighthawk Cam Boardman has been on a tear over the first week of the summer. 

Boardman, who grew up about 30 minutes away from the Maxfield Sports Complex in Bradford, Vermont, has posted a .400 on-base percentage in his first 25 plate appearances and has reached base at least once in each of the first five games.

Before Wednesday’s game against the Sanford Mainers, the catcher sat down with Nighthawks Beat Writer Thaddeus Sawyer to talk about living in Vermont, playing with his former University of Hartford teammates this summer and his high school pitching career.

Upper Valley Nighthawks: “How much pride do you take from being part of a small circle of baseball players from Vermont?”

Cam Boardman: “It’s fun. 
There's a bunch of us. I mean, even on our team, I grew up playing with [Nighthawks relief pitcher] Brendan Walker. We played little league together. 
Being from such a small, non-baseball state, I feel like you know everybody. Then, once you get into college, you kind of keep track of each other, check in on each other. It's pretty fun with that.”

UVN: “What's your favorite Vermont summer activity?”

CB: “If it's not playing baseball, it’d probably be either golfing with my teammates or kayaking.”

UVN: “What’s your handicap?”

CB: “Like an 18. 
I'm not consistent enough.”

UVN: “Have any of your teammates told you anything about Vermont that they think is weird, but you find completely normal?”

CB: “How quiet it is. I'm hosting [Nighthawks pitcher] Anthony Bubba, and we were driving home from one of the games and we saw no cars on the way home. He's from New Jersey, so just that experience has been mind blowing to him.”

UVN: “What's it been like getting to play with Anthony and [Nighthawks reliever] Julian Rondon in a different setting?”

CB: “It’s been great. I've been lucky enough to have been teammates with Julian and Bubba for three years. Now that we're all in the portal, we're all kind of going in different ways, so just kind of really taking it all and I'm trying to soak it all in, enjoy like my last two weeks with them. But having two guys that I've spent months with ー I mean, I lived with both of them the past two years, so it's been really fun.”

UVN: “You just committed to play for NJIT next year. What went into that decision?”

CB: “I think just the appreciation they showed me. 
I loved the facilities, I liked the campus. I think the city setting is something different and I'm excited for it. Then just the opportunity to go in and compete for starting time right away.”

UVN: “Have you spent a lot of time in New Jersey?”

CB: “I have not. No, I'm actually just not a huge New Jersey guy, so I'm kind of open to experiencing that.”

UVN: “What did the process of being in the portal look like for you?”

CB: “It was pretty overwhelming, I think, the first few weeks especially, because our season ended before most of the Division I guys. There's a lot of phone calls, a lot of visits, FaceTimes. 
We actually didn't have cell phone service at our house, so we were driving to either our locker room on campus or random parking lots to take phone calls. So, it was just a lot of time on my phone, which wasn't that much fun, to be honest, but happy that it's over.”

UVN: “You pitched in high school. 
What pitches did you throw?”

CB: “I threw like a sinker, cutter and a bad breaking ball.”

UVN: “Do you ever miss being on the mound?”

CB: “I do. It seems really fun. 
I think you kind of get to control the game more from that side. Especially as a hitter, the pitcher is the one that dictates everything. I think it's more low stress, more fun. But I don't think I was good enough for that.”

UVN: “If you were still a pitcher, what would your entrance song be?”

CB: “Ooh, I don't know. Pre-game, I'm like a sad music person, so it'd probably be something sad and slow for myself. Probably not a crowd favorite, though.”

UVN: “What's your favorite baseball team?”

CB: “The Baltimore Orioles. 
My dad grew up being an Orioles fan back when they were good with like Brooks Robinson, so we went to a few games growing up and I've always been a fan since.”

UVN: “What was it like getting to practice at a division rival’s stadium at Fenway Park when you were playing in the Cape Cod Baseball League?”

CB: “That was sweet. The field is gigantic. We did a bunch of scout day testing there, too, like under the concourse. But then just taking [batting practice] and stuff was really fun to take it all in."