Plymouth 12-year-old heading to Kansas City for Little League Home Run Derby
PLYMOUTH - At 12-years-old, Cole Campbell of Plymouth is ready to put his bat up against some of the best in the country.
As he grounded out in a summer league game against Quincy, his mom noted the obvious. "He is tall for his age, yes he is," his mother Jen Campbell said.
The Plymouth Little Leaguer is a pretty big 12-year-old, and he can hit.
"He can hit it hard; he has a knack for putting it in the air, which is what you got to do," said Cole's father Brian Campbell.
It's what you've got to do to knock the ball out of the park, is what his dad means.
And that's exactly what Cole did, clearing the 200-foot fence 34 times during the local Home Run Derby several weeks ago, crushing the competition to the delight of his baseball buddies.
"It was quite a show," Brian Campbell said.
His parents didn't tell him he'd won right away, but he's got the trophy now.
At the end of this month, Cole will take his bat out to Kansas City for the East Regionals and if he finishes in the top four there, it's onto the National Home Run Derby at the Little League World Series in Williamsport.
Meantime, the youngster is trying to play good baseball at home, but he admits to already feeling some pressure. "A little bit yeah, I'm just trying to block out all the noise," Cole said.
As you might have guessed, this is a family whose extra-curricular lives revolve around the diamond. "Friendships off the field, families hang out together, it's just been fantastic," Jen Campbell said.
And it will be even more fantastic if the youngster can find his long ball stroke in KC.
"This is right up there, I mean you don't expect anything like this to ever come up, top 10 in the east, get to go to Kansas City, and you know, swing away," Brian Campbell said.
Cole is staying humble, knowing at age 12, it's all about improving your game. "It definitely has some holes in it," Cole said.
But a shot at being national Home Run Derby champ is pretty cool.