Campbell's Drive To Play In College Ends At Evansville

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP - It took plenty of persistence and fortitude, but Davis Campbell is now a Division I college commit.

“The recruiting process definitely started off slower,” reflected Campbell, who recently made a commitment to the University of Evansville. “A lot of my teammates were getting looks and I’m getting nervous during the summer. I just kept working. Once the PBR Future Games came and I did well I started having calls and was offered by two of them. It got my name out there. It was definitely big for me. Without the Future Games, I wouldn’t have had a chance for Evansville to see me play.”

The performance of the sixth-ranked 2024 shortstop in Ohio at the PBR event in Georgia in late summer proved vital in finding a college home.

“I think I played pretty well, that’s when I got their attention,” Campbell said about the Missouri Valley Conference university. “They continued to watch me and after I contacted the coaches they wanted to get me on a visit.”

That took place on Oct. 14.

“I made it work and me and my mom drove there,” Campbell said of the 31/2-hour trip to the campus in southwest Indiana. “It was awesome. I loved the coaches and loved all the baseball stuff. I hear they’re getting new facilities.”

An offer came at the very end of the visit, and a month later the Cincinnati Country Day junior made a decision.

“It was between them and OU,” noted Campbell, who visited and received an offer from Ohio University a week before going to Evansville. “I like the Missouri Valley, it’s good baseball. The biggest thing is I’m going to get a chance to play. I really like the coaching staff, they seem really interested in me. I think that was the deal breaker for me.”

The 5-10 155-pounder made an impression on Evansville.

“They like my hands and how quick my feet are,” Campbell noted. “They like how I move on defense, that was one of the main things that stuck out to them.”

Recent improvement helped the cause for the 30th-rated 2024 in the state.

“I’ve definitely been putting the work in, going to cages and doing infield progressions every day,” Campbell related. “I’ve been working with JoJo Overbeek (uncommitted 2024 at Anderson High School) and if he’s getting the work in, I’m with him.”

There are others who have also played a role in Campbell becoming a college commit to Evansville.

“All the coaches on my summer ball team really helped, talking and asking if there were any schools I wanted to talk to,” Campbell explained. “My dad was also making sure I kept my drive. He did the work for me, writing a chart on different schools and their tuition. That was definitely a huge help. My high school coach last year, Asif Shah, also helped keep me disciplined while making sure I was staying focused and doing my small individual work and not messing around.”

It proved beneficial in reaching a goal established long ago.

“I’ve always known I wanted to play college baseball but there were times, like the beginning of summer, where I started off terrible and was wondering if it would even happen,” Campbell admitted. “I was putting in the work and it wasn’t showing in-game, but my dad made sure I kept putting in the work. Sometimes I let my emotions get in the way, but he made sure I stayed on track and focused.”

Once a commitment was made it brought a sense of relief for all.

“It was definitely a huge weight off my shoulders,” the 17-year-old said. “My family was definitely proud. I think my dad was the most excited. It’s been his main goal to get me and my brother to play in college.”

Older sibling, Jackson, a 2022 Country Day graduate and now a pitcher at USC-Upstate, was a big influence on Campbell.

“Seeing how good he was doing pushed me to be better,” Campbell related. “It was always a battle no matter what the sport, we were always competing with each other. But it was all love. He was like a second dad, almost.”

Others were also credited by Campbell with assisting in the drive to play at the next level.

“I want to thank Chris Valentine (PBR Ohio Executive Director), Jordan (Chiero, PBR Ohio Director of Scouting), and all the PBR guys with getting me into the Future Games and tournaments,”  noted Campbell, a 3.0 student at Country Day who was recruited as a middle infielder by Evansville.

While college is still two years away, Campbell is already looking forward to what lies ahead.

“My dad tells me my teammates in college will be your best friends,” concluded Campbell, who plans a business-related major at Evansville. “I’m looking forward to creating bonds with these people.”