Paul D. Camp baseball gets ready for return trip to JUCO World Series
FRANKLIN (WAVY) — Junior college baseball may not be prevalent in Virginia, but in the small town of Franklin, Paul D. Camp Community College is set to make a run at a title.
For the second consecutive year, the Hurricanes will participate in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III World Series.
The program is in its seventh year, and Daniel Rollins is in his fifth-year as head coach.
He recruits players from all over the country, using his contacts from the baseball world and even social media.
For players like Connor Blence from Pennsylvania, it’s a chance to play college baseball for two years before moving on to a bigger school.
“We are kind of building a little empire here the last couple of years,” Blence said. “Getting more each year and getting pipelines to different schools.”
“That’s always the goal at a two-year JUCO,” said CJ Patterson from Newport News. “You want to go play somewhere else bigger, such as a four-year whether it’s NAIA or other divisions such as Division I, II or III.”
Franklin is a small town and there’s not much going on when it comes to nightlife. For the players that are serious about the game, that’s just fine.
“If you don’t want girls, distractions, parties and all that, this is your town,” Blence said. “You get to play ball and get better and go to a better place after that.”
Said Patterson: “It’s a really small town. We have a bowling alley and a couple of restaurants. That’s really it. Not really a lot to do, not many distractions so we can focus 100% on baseball.”
The Hurricanes will bring a 34-18 record into its opening round game against Herkimer when they begin play in the eight-team World Series on Saturday in Auburn, New York, where they hope to win the crown.
“To bring a national title to Franklin, Virginia and the 757 as well as the Commonwealth that would be phenomenal,” Rollins said. “That’s why we are excited, because we feel like are have an opportunity to make a run at it.”
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