Campbell baseball in the College World Series? Don't count out the Camels

In nearly 50 years as a Division I college baseball program, Campbell has never been ranked higher than it is this season.

Sitting at No. 18 in the DIBaseball.com Top 25 poll, the Camels (16-3) are among the best teams in the nation, surrounded by perennial Power 5 mainstays and fellow in-state programs such as No. 2 Wake Forest, No. 10 East Carolina and No. 15 North Carolina.

Following its 2-1 win against the 10th-ranked Pirates on Wednesday at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville, Campbell figures to garner even more national attention with another move up the rankings.

It’s a strong start that could have folks talking about the possibility of a trip to Omaha in late June for the College World Series.

“I think that knowing where your ultimate destination is is really important. You don’t always have to have the road map, because we don’t get that crystal ball, so we don’t know exactly where it’s gonna run through or how we’re gonna get there,” Campbell coach Justin Haire said.

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“But we know that that’s the destination, that’s our final destination is to get to Omaha. But we can’t get bogged down by the bigness of that. We have to break it down into small things and it might just be that one step right in front of us. If we can do that every single day, then we’re inching closer to where we ultimately want to get to.”

The Camels have taken those small steps in their eight seasons under Haire, who is closing in on 300 wins with the program. He has led Campbell to four consecutive Big South Conference championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances, including two regional final berths.

“Fortunately, for the success that we’ve had the last four or five years, and being in some big-time atmospheres, I don’t think our guys get sped up by that,” Haire said.

“It’s like, ‘Hey, man, let’s show up and go to work every single day.’ I think, from a school standpoint and athletic standpoint, being able to fly the flag for our school is really important for me personally and for our staff, and certainly for our players.”

Prior to 2018, Campbell had two NCAA Tournament appearances in program history (1990, 2014). The next step is getting to a super regional, which they nearly accomplished in 2019 and 2021, losing to eventual national champion Mississippi State in ‘21.

“I mean, we’ve never really been known as well, and I think this (recent success) is helping get our name out," said Campbell junior Trenton Harris, who had a home run in the win against ECU.

"It’s kind of become who Campbell is and what the brotherhood actually means.”

Coming off a 41-win season, the Camels begin the bulk of their league schedule this weekend, but they have high-profile games remaining against Duke (April 4, April 25), UNC (May 2) and ECU (May 16). Those are opportunities to make even more noise as they grind toward the Big South Conference Tournament in late May.

Campbell pitcher Aaron Rund, who picked up the save with four innings of relief against the Pirates in Fayetteville, said the Camels “want to be in those moments.”

“It’s pretty special, it really is, to do something that’s never been done here,” Rund said of the national ranking. “Every week, day to day, we just prepare for like, OK, we’re playing Tennessee or we’re playing whoever else. We’re just here to get our work in and ready to compete.”

The Camels have star power in Drake Pierson, the preseason Big South Player of the Year, and right-handed ace Cade Kuehler, a projected first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Behind those two stars, Campbell has reliability with a crowd of talented arms and capable hitters.

It’s a recipe that could thrust the boys in Buies Creek into the national spotlight as a possible under-the-radar team to be one of the eight squads playing at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha.

“We never look that far in the future,” Rund said. “. … We’re ready to be in the moment. If that’s where we go, that’s where we go.”

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Campbell baseball capable of run to College World Series in Omaha