Camp transitioning from closer to starter
After serving as Auburn’s closer last season, senior Justin Camp may transition into a weekend starter this year.
AUBURN | Justin Camp had a team-high eight saves as Auburn closer last season. This year, the senior could be one of the Tigers’ weekend starters.
“I've been working at starting,” Camp said. “I started this summer when I went off to California and played so I kept doing it. I like it. You get on a routine, you know when you're going to throw so that part of it is nice. It's definitely different than coming out of the pen.”
Camp was 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA in 28 appearances last season. He struck out 48 in 46.1 innings mainly using his fastball and slider.
As a starter, he plans to mix in his changeup.
“I always threw my changeup even when I was just in the pen just because I wanted to have it,” Camp said. “Now I'm able to incorporate that a lot more, especially with the extended innings I'm able to go to that changeup, especially to lefties on fastball counts I'm able to throw it for strikes and get it over.”
Camp has impressed so far during preseason practice. In last Saturday’s scrimmage he pitched four scoreless innings.
“Camp just did a great job of establishing the strike zone and really flying, getting us through the first half of the ballgame,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said.
Camp doesn’t have overpowering stuff but he does a good job of keeping the ball down and getting a lot of ground balls.
“Everything was working. I was able to throw three different pitches any count I wanted to and my defense played good,” Camp said. “I knew all I had to do was get ground balls. That makes it a whole lot easier when you keep them in the game and you don't have to worry about getting a strikeout every at-bat.”
Camp is part of a revamped pitching staff that includes a number of junior college transfers and true freshmen.
Cole Lipscomb is back after an All-SEC sophomore season but junior college transfers Ben Braymer, Gabe Klobosits, Andrew Mitchell and Tavo Rodriguez, along with true freshmen Casey Mize and Daniel Sprinkle are expected to be a big part of the staff.
“I feel like we can do good,” Camp said. “We've got a lot of junior college arms, a lot of freshman arms and a lot of them are pitching a lot and they're competing. I think they're going to play a big role in what we're going to do.
“We don't have a ton of guys returning, we don't have a ton of SEC experience but we've got guys that are willing to compete and they just want to get out there and pitch. I think that competitiveness is going to keep us in a lot of games.”
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