Righi Finds All Pros, No Cons With UConn

WETHERSFIELD, Ct. - There were no cons with UConn.

That was the evaluation given by Camden Righi, now a commit to the University of Connecticut.

“I did some recruiting stuff through PBR to get my name out there and went to the Junior Future Games eight-grade year,” the Wethersfield High School sophomore reflected. “There was no word from UConn until a week before I committed. I went to a showcase at the UConn field with multiple teams there. (Assistant) Coach (Jeff) Hourigan was there and I got the idea he was a great guy. He said ‘we have an offer, do you want it yet’? I talked it through with my family and my high school coach and found UConn the perfect place.

“There were no cons … the academics, the athletics, the support, and it’s 40 minutes away from home. There are no cons. It seemed like the perfect place to go, so we set up a call.”

It was the first and only offer received by the second-rated 2025 catcher in New England, who was talking with Northeastern, Wake Forest and Boston College.

“No one showed the interest that UConn did at that point,” Righi noted. “I probably could have waited, but for me UConn was the best choice. I didn’t really want to go far from home, and I’ll be playing D-I baseball at a high level with a championship team. They have high academics and I can go into any kind of schooling I want.

“They have the best coaching staff and the longest tenured staff in all of baseball,” Righi continued. “To know they’ll be there when I go there is very reassuring.”

The versatility of the 6-3 200-pounder stood out to Connecticut.

“They like me as an athlete,” Righi explained. “They like my hitting, they said it was very good and that I play good defense. There are a few things to clean up, but they said I have a projectable frame, they like my speed and my reactions on the field.”

Recent improvement helped the cause for the 12th-ranked sophomore in New England.

“My skills have increased a lot, especially my framing,” Righi pointed out. “Strength-wise I’ve been putting in more time with my dad and really working on the mental edge of baseball. I’m playing with an older team in the summer, a 17U team, and this past high school season I started as a freshman and learning the mental effort of failure has been important.”

Just 15 years of age, Righi has grown up loving the sport.

“I’ve been playing baseball since I was born,” the fourth-rated Connecticut sophomore said. “My dad played at Springfield College and was scouted by the Rockies. He raised me playing baseball and it’s been my favorite sport. I always knew I wanted to play baseball at the highest level I could. When coaches asked, I said it was my dream to play D-I baseball.”

There was help along the way in reaching that accomplishment.

“I went to all the PBRs, the Junior Future Games and a bunch of showcases, to get my numbers from the workouts to help get my name out there as much as possible,” Righi explained. “The Capitals’ organization also helped get my name out there.”

But nobody was any more vital than his father.

“My dad helped me with my swing,” Righi said. “He does all the research and has spent so many hours with me. He’s been really helpful with my swing and all the weight lifting.”

A 4.0 student freshman year of high school, the top-rated sophomore catcher in Connecticut had a memorable experience the day he committed to UConn.

“At first it was excitement,” Righi reflected. “We went out for sushi and we didn’t tell anyone right away. We kept it within the family, all the excitement was between us. But then we got it out there. It was a sense of relief not to have to worry about recruitment which was a stressful thing to do.”

Unsure of a college major at this point in time, Righi looks forward to his days at UConn playing baseball.

“I watched them in the Super Regional series with Stanford,” Righi said of this past college season. “They’re a gritty hard-working team and I want to be part of that.”

There is more that Righi is anticipating when it comes to life after high school.

“The facilities are amazing, the field and the cages,” Righi concluded. “I look forward to working with the coaches, becoming a better baseball player and being part of a championship team that’s going to make a run each year.”