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Triton two-sport star Kneeland starting to lean toward a baseball future

Monday, May, 12 By Jim Sullivan
Correspondent

Triton's Cam Kneeland has been turning a lot of heads this spring. Both at the plate and on the mound.

"When he's up at the plate, you don't want to miss him," says Vikings coach Steve Padovani, "because at any given at bat, he can do something you don't see very much at the high school level. It's scary to think of how good he will be, because he can only get better."

Kneeland has also made his presence known on the golfing greens where he won the Division 2 individual championship last year and ranked No. 1 for Triton. But when it comes to his future and true love, the field of dreams has the back nine covered.

"There's something about (baseball) that I just have a great passion for," says the 17-year-old senior. "I just like being on the field. I don't know why."

Perhaps it's that eternal link to childhood the game seems to have. Kneeland began playing Little League tee-ball when he was 6. Soon his father, John, taught him how to pitch then singed him up to play AAU. Eventually, his confidence began to grow.

"When Dad took me to the AAU program, we practiced and practiced," Cam Kneeland said. "I got better and better. My coaches told me I was good and had potential."

Enough potential to land him on the varsity team just as Padovani was beginning his high school coaching career after four years at Northeastern University.

"He hits the ball harder than any kid I've seen in my two years at Triton." Padovani says, "He will swing until he can't physically swing anymore. There aren't too many fields that Cam can't hit a ball out of."

Padovani and pitching coach Darren Svendsen also noticed Kneeland had command of the ball and bumped him from third base to pitcher.

"I love pitching because you're in control of the game," Kneeland says. "But hitting is whole lot better."

Tall and soft-spoken, Kneeland carries himself with a manner almost befitting a southern gentleman.

"Cam's very humble, almost to the point where I'd like for him to be little more cocky," says Padovani. "He's a true pleasure to coach | a kid I never have to worry about. He comes from a great family. You never have to worry about him skipping a class. He's a kid that's going to be very difficult to replace. It will be very strange without Cam Kneeland around."

When that day comes, Kneeland hopes to attend prep school for a year, then move on to college where he says, "I'd love to go to Division 1 and play ball. Coach has always said Northeastern. And I've always liked (Boston College) and (University of North Carolina). Division 2 or 3 is fine, too."

And if that doesn't work out, Kneeland says, "I'll try my hardest in golf."