Multisport athlete balances priorities

Andy Campbell wants to be a doctor. He’s attending Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri, this summer while most high school graduates are enjoying their last summer break before college. His tuition is paid through an athletic scholarship — for basketball. At 6 feet 5 inches tall, Campbell plays shooting guard for the Bearcats.

Despite his prowess in two sports — baseball and the aforementioned basketball — and that ambition to become a medical doctor, Campbell’s top priority is neither of those pursuits.

“My relationship with the Lord is the most important thing to me,” Campbell said.

Campbell’s strength on the diamond was his batting. The first baseman maintained a .403 average in his senior year with the Russellville Cyclones, while knocking in 19 RBIs. His skills in the batter’s box may be related to his best friend’s prowess from the mound.

As the River Valley & Ozark Edition Baseball Player of the Year, Campbell has always had a challenge in Tyler Allen, the Tri-Lakes Edition Baseball Player of the Year. The two ballplayers have known each other for as long as they can remember and are still best friends, even after Allen’s family moved to Sheridan.

“I hate to hit off him; he’ll be the first to tell you that,” Campbell said. “That off-speed stuff is just crazy sometimes, the way he gets it to move. Having a best friend who was a pitcher was fun. Whether we were on the same team or on opposing teams, me and Tyler always had a good time on the baseball diamond.”

Campbell attributes his success in sports to his father and mother, who have always encouraged him to work hard in the various sports he has played. His father was a collegiate athlete, playing football at Ouachita Baptist University. His parents instilled in Campbell the importance of faith and priorities. He listed them as God, family, academics and sports. That’s not to say he’s neglecting any of those areas listed. He maintained a 4.0 in his time at Russellville High School and scored a 31 on his ACT. In sports, he was a star player on the varsity baseball and basketball teams.

“The highlight of my baseball career was most definitely winning the 6A state championship last year,” Campbell said. “Playing two sports wasn’t too hard. The coaches always worked well with that, even though they didn’t have to.”

Coaching is an area where Campbell feels lucky. His coaches have always worked with him, starting with his first. Since then, Campbell realized that not all high school coaches will let athletes play two sports. Injury concerns and overlapping seasons make it difficult for multisport athletes. Some coaches will not risk their players by letting them participate in other sports. Campbell said he’s glad that his coaches never told him he couldn’t play basketball or baseball. And he’s thankful they made doing both easy on him.

As a member of the baseball Cyclones, Campbell was fairly close to being a repeat 6A state champion. Alas, the Cyclones were eliminated by the Benton Panthers 6-0 in the semifinals. Campbell had one of his team’s two hits in the game.The Panthers went on to face their 6A South Conference rival, the Sheridan Yellowjackets, in the 6A final. Standing on the mound to face them was Campbell’s best friend. Allen pitched a great game, but a 10-4 lead almost gave way to a late comeback by the Panthers. The Yellowjackets staved off the surge and held on to win 10-9, and Allen took home his first state title.

Campbell and Allen finished high school with a state title apiece, both boast the same height, and both appear to have good heads on their shoulders. The two are focused on academics, after God and family. It’s like they have a code, and it’s paid off for them.

For Campbell, his interest in baseball started very early. His father shared the love of sports, and his mother enjoyed watching her child grow into an athlete.

“My dad got me interested in baseball,” Campbell said. “He coached my teams [while I was] growing up, and he was always overly supportive of me on the field, and so was my mom.”

As Campbell opens the next chapter of his life, he’s going to be busy. As a pre-med student seeking a degree in biology and a scholarship athlete at Southwest Baptist University, he will have his hands full. But Campbell has already shown that he possesses the tools to juggle everything that’s important to him.

Staff writer Morgan Acuff can be reached at (501) 244-4314 or macuff@arkansasonline.com.

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