Malvern Prep’s Cam Williams is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week

The senior second baseman and designated hitter is leading the Inter-Ac contenders in most offensive categories, batting .404 from the No. 3 spot with a .517 on-base percentage and .574 slugging percentage, 18 runs scored and 15 RBIs as of May 9. Malvern Prep baseball head coach Freddy Hilliard said, “He’s really helped to fill a big void in our lineup from all the production that graduated last season.”

Q: As a second baseman, how important is it to work in tandem with the shortstop on the field? Can you give us an example of how that has come into play this season?

A: You always have to be on the same page as the shortstop and maintain good communication every play. During our first game against Shipley, there was a play with a man on first and a ball hit up the middle. Our shortstop fielded it and I was running to cover the bag. He had a lot of momentum going towards the bag, so he called me off and tagged the bag himself then got the out at first. If he hadn’t called me off he would’ve run right through me. This is just one example of why shortstops and second basemen always have to be on the same page and communicate constantly.

Q: When you’re not playing second base, you are the team’s designated hitter. As a DH, how do you keep yourself sharp during the game when you’re not on the field?

A: As a DH I constantly take swings while my team is in the field. I do this to keep myself loose and relaxed between at bats.

Q: You usually bat third in Malvern’s lineup. Does your batting approach change when you are moved up or down in the lineup order?

A: It is really helpful to have great hitters in front of me and behind me. Having those first two guys on a lot of the time helps me relax and not try to do to much at the plate. Starting off the year I was hitting in the seventh spot. I hit well in Florida, so Coach [Freddy] Hilliard decided to move me up to the third spot. I think moving up in the order gave me a lot of confidence and a sense of comfort at the plate that helped me hit even better.

Q: Who is your favorite baseball player(s)? Do you try to pattern any part of your game after him/them?

A: My favorite baseball player is Derek Jeter. As a former shortstop, I tried to model my defensive game after him as he was one of the best defensive shortstops I have ever seen in my lifetime. I am also a huge Bryce Harper fan and I try to model my swing after him. His swing is simple, powerful, and very smooth which is why I try to take bits and pieces of it and incorporate them into my swing.

Q: You wear uniform No. 2 for Malvern Prep. Is there a reason you chose that number – does it hold any significance to you?

A: I picked this number because it was the same number Jeter wore.

Q: What do you think is the strongest part of your game? What part of your game are you working on the most currently?

A: I think the strongest part of my game is hitting. I may not have the power to put the ball out of the yard every at bat but I can help the team by getting runners in with singles and doubles while getting into scoring position myself so other guys can knock me in. The thing I am working on is my arm strength. I tore the labrum in my shoulder last year so I am trying to get back to the arm strength I had before that happened.

Q: Who have been your biggest baseball mentors, and what was the most important thing each of them taught you?

A: My biggest and most consistent baseball mentor has been my dad. Through the years he has gone with me to so many lessons and watched so many games he can give me an idea of what I’m doing wrong and what I can do to fix it. Second has been the coaching staff at Malvern as a whole. I have come to appreciate baseball much more as a team sport than I did before playing at Malvern. The way Malvern coaches approach the game is very different than any other coach I have had. Baseball is about winning little battles every at bat and the coaches at Malvern helped me understand that.

Q: Tell us a little about your pre-game preparation the day of a game.

A: On the day of a game I don’t do many things differently. I’ll usually eat a lighter lunch so I don’t have anything slowing me down or having me cramp up during the game. Before games I’ll usually listen to music to get me focused.

Q: What (to you) has been the highlight (most memorable moment) of your Malvern Prep baseball career?

A: The most memorable moments in my Malvern career so far have definitely been the field rushes we had last year after we won the Inter-Ac and then again when we won the Independent School tournament. The rush you get when the final out is in the books is a great feeling and running onto the field to celebrate with the guys you have worked hard with to achieve those victories is an amazing feeling.

Q: Next fall, you will be attending Elon University in North Carolina. What do you think you might want to major in? Is there a particular career path that interests you at the present time?

A: I am going to study communications, although I am not sure what specific branch of communications I will go into because Elon offers more specific majors within the communications department. If it is possible, I would like to take the skills I will learn at Elon and hopefully apply them to a job that relates in some way to baseball. Combining baseball with my job would be the ideal outcome for me down the road.

Q: Do you participate in any other extracurricular activities at Malvern Prep? What sparked your interest in these activities?

A: I am part of the Malvern Prep Jazz Ensemble as a guitar player. I became interested in the guitar when I was little and decided to pursue it in sixth grade as part of a self-directed learning project. Even after the project was completed I stuck with it and now it has become something I love to do in my free time.

Fun facts – Cam Williams