Home Local Sports Seagraves confident heading into 2nd BodyArmor State Games

Seagraves confident heading into 2nd BodyArmor State Games

Camron Seagraves, shown pitching earlier this spring, will play in his second straight BodyArmor State Games. (Kyle Pillar, sports editor)

ROCKINGHAM — A rising junior baseball player at Richmond Senior High School will get another opportunity to play on one of the biggest baseball recruiting stages in the state this summer.

Camron Seagraves will compete in the 2022 BodyArmor State Games, the second straight summer he’ll represent the Raiders.

A “premier high school baseball event,” this is the 36th year the State Games will be held. The program, which was formally the Powerade State Games, features 28 sports at a variety of youth and adult levels.

For baseball, there are eight different regions set up across the state, and the top 20 players in each region were selected following a tryout period. 

Fresh off his first All-Sandhills Athletic Conference selection, Seagraves made the Region 4 team, which covers 11 counties, including Richmond, Scotland, Moore, Roberson, Lee, Columbus, Bladen and Cumberland counties.

Region 4 will be coached by Matthew Hunt of St. Pauls High School, the same coach from last summer, and Seagraves found out last week that he made the team.

“I decided to try out again this summer because last year the overall experience of meeting new people, along with playing in front of a lot of scouts and getting a lot of exposure, was really good,” Seagraves said. “And it gives me a chance to play in front of a lot of coaches.

“I made the State Games last year, which was a huge accomplishment as a freshman, and it really boosted my confidence as a pitcher and an overall player. I’m hoping that I perform well this year also to boost my confidence even more and to get noticed by colleges.”

This past spring, Seagraves played his second varsity season for the Raiders and played various positions. He served as the No. 1 pitcher and led Richmond in innings pitched (42.2 innings), wins (5), ERA (1.64) and strikeouts (43).

Using a wealth of pitches to attack the strike zone, Seagraves also limited opposing batters to an impressive .179 average at the plate. The right-hander throws a two and four-seam fastball, a curveball and a 12-6 curveball, a slider and a changeup.

Also playing left field and third base, Seagraves batted .258 with 17 hits, including tying teammate Cameron Way with five doubles to lead the team. He drove in 10 RBIs, scored 11 runs and stole 10 bases.

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During the State Games, Seagraves will be used predominantly as a pitcher, but he also expects to play the outfield.

Seagraves doesn’t currently have any offers to play college baseball, but said Campbell, Coastal Carolina and East Carolina have all expressed interest. 

He’s hoping this year’s BodyArmor games will help change that, as the program’s website says there will be “more than 80 college/professional scouts” in attendance.

“This year at the State Games, I’m hoping to make a bigger name for myself with college coaches and possibly get an offer by the end of the summer,” he explained. “Playing last summer will help me this year because I now have a better understanding of what scouts want to see.

“It’s not just about how you perform, it’s how you handle adversity and the way you show your emotions and attitude on the field,” Seagraves continued. “Last year also showed me that I can compete with any level of competition and my confidence will be a lot higher this time.” 

The five-day event will begin on June 13, which will see the Region 4 team start with a practice at Historic Durham Athletic Park. 

Competing in Bracket A, Region 4 will play three pool games at UNC’s Boshamer Stadium  before tournament seeding. Seagraves’ team will play Region 3 on June 14, Region 2 on June 15 and Region 1 on June 16.

The tournament championship and consolation games will also be held at Boshamer Stadium on June 17.

Following the State Games, Seagraves will play travel baseball and look to continue to build up his resume heading into his junior year at Richmond.

“I’m looking forward to playing in Georgia with my C35 team in front of the scouts there,” Seagraves closed. 

“And I’m also looking forward to rebuilding the bond with our varsity team with our seniors leaving because they were a huge part of our program and really led the team to our success this year.”



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Kyle Pillar is a 22-time North Carolina Press Association award-winning sports editor with The Richmond Observer. Follow the sports department on X @ROSports_ for the best in-depth coverage of Richmond County sports.