The Ohio State baseball season is over, but there has still been plenty of action going on at Bill Davis Stadium.
The Buckeye baseball team recently held its summer hitting camps. There were two camps that ran from June 25 to 27 and June 30 to July 2. The camps were held at Davis Stadium and utilized the batting cages, locker rooms, video equipment and other resources.
The camp is a way for OSU to help youngsters learn the fundamentals of the game and have fun at the same time.
“It’s just fun to work with the kids,” said assistant coach Pat Bangtson. “It’s why you get into coaching. The best part is to see the kids accomplish something.”
The youth attending the camps range from age 7 to seniors in high school. They have the opportunity to get instruction in four areas of baseball- hitting, catching, fielding and pitching, Bangston said.
Each camp is three days long and split into two sections each day. Sections are two hours long and based on the technique being taught. For one camp, a person could take hitting in the first section and pitching in the next.
The hitting section is divided into three 40-minute segments. The first segment includes hitting from a pitcher or pitching machine, while the swing is being videotaped. Next, campers go through drills such as soft toss or hitting off batting tees. In the final section, campers watch videos. On the first day they watch an instructional video, and on the final two days they watch the tape of their own swing.
“I’ve gone here since I was 7 or 8. They really help and make it fun and not to serious,” said Jay Caldwell, 17, of Greenville, Ohio, who attended the camp for the hitting and pitching sections.
“You get a lot of one-on-one attention. All of the video and slowing it down help,” Caldwell said. “You can’t do that at home or normal practice.
Caldwell plans to play for the Buckeyes in the future. By attending the camp he wants his skills to catch the eyes of the coaches.
Seven or eight current Buckeyes attended the baseball camp at one time, including pitcher Kyle Brown, Bangtson said.
“I tell the kids to take it seriously, and you never know when the right person is watching,” Brown said.
Along with the fundamentals and techniques the campers learn, they also get to interact with Buckeye players who help out with the camp.
“The ability to talk to us and stand on the field gives them the hope to work hard and play here,” said pitcher Nate Smith.
This year 300-325 kids attended the camp with 60-70 percent coming from central Ohio. Attendees also came from as far away as Florida, Kentucky and Indiana, Bangston said.
“The numbers are up due to TV exposure and having a decent season,” he said.
The camp is an enjoyable experience for all involved, but especially for the participants.
“You learn to do something that you enjoy,” Caldwell said. “You don’t look at the clock and time flies.”
