WEST CANAAN — Hunter Campbell may be just 21 years old, but Mascoma High’s new head baseball coach seems to have his life all figured out.
A former high school standout in Greenfield, Mass., Campbell played Division III ball at Colby-Sawyer College before hanging up his cleats once the COVID-19 pandemic began. That led Campbell to immediately pursue a coaching career, and he’s in it for the long term.
“I plan to be here until my kids graduate, and I don’t have kids yet,” Campbell said. “This is where I want to be. It’s where my family is laying their roots. High school sports brought me a lot in my life, so any way I can give back, I want to.”
Campbell was a four-year starter in high school, batting third in the lineup while playing first base or pitching. His father coached him for a couple of years in his youth, and Campbell’s first foray into coaching came with Cal Ripken teams in Greenfield. He also interned with the Valley Blue Sox of the New England Collegiate Baseball League for a summer.
The Mascoma job came open in early February, and Campbell, who had settled in Canaan with his fiancée, decided to apply. He said his young age served him well in the interview process, highlighting his ability to relate to high school athletes. Some of the Royals’ returning players were in the room for the interview, and Campbell used the opportunity to get a sense for the program’s culture.
“I fielded questions about what I wanted to do with the program, and I turned the questions around and asked the kids,” Campbell said. “Because at the end of the day, it’s about the kids. I’m here to build this program up with them, not for them.”
Athletic director Rodney Brown hired Campbell the first week of March, less than three weeks before the start of practices. The learning curve has been steep, especially considering Mascoma has nine freshmen on the roster and just three returners from last year’s winless squad.
Even those returners are still learning new things. Allan Hammond, the lone returning senior, primarily plays catcher. But on a team lacking pitching depth behind junior Zach Thompson, Hammond made what he said was his first appearance on the mound in a game since eighth grade in Monday afternoon’s loss to White Mountains, which dropped the Royals’ record to 0-5.
Three of those losses have ended early due to the run rule, which halts a game if one team is ahead by 10 runs or more after at least five innings in the field.
“(Campbell) shows up an hour before practices,” Hammond said. “We don’t get out until 3 o’clock, and he’s here by 2 sometimes. If it’s a game day, he’s here earlier. His commitment and effort into this program has had an impact on us. He really wants to improve and believes in us.”
Mascoma’s last victory came on May 22, 2019, against Hillsboro-Deering, which Campbell and the current team have calculated is 1,071 days ago as of Wednesday. Of course, that stretch includes the canceled 2020 season and an incomplete schedule last year, but nobody on the roster has experienced a win at the varsity level.
“Success starts with building relationships, which (Campbell) has from day one,” Brown said. “Hunter does a great job at being present and keeping the kids constantly learning on the diamond. The wins will come — he’ll continue to build that culture each day.”
The Royals did not have enough players sign up to field a junior varsity team, so JV coach Aaron Bryce has slid into an assistant coaching position under Campbell. Also joining the staff is Derek French, a Mascoma graduate whom Campbell befriended upon moving to Canaan.
For Campbell, though, it all starts with his youth and energy, which Hammond said has increased Mascoma’s confidence.
“I always had older coaches, and you see them, they’re old enough to be your dad,” Campbell said. “I feel like I can be a mentor and big brother to some of the kids. I just experienced what they’re going through, so I can relate well and I know their terminology, which nowadays is a little different. I’m also young enough to go out and do practice with them and show them that I’m there.”
Benjamin Rosenberg can be reached at brosenberg@vnews.com or 603-727-3302.