Farrar aiming for pro fences

CLYDE — Cam Farrar hit just one home run in high school. He recalled it recently, standing near home plate at Clyde's baseball field. He pointed toward the left-field fence, which he cleared on a pitch from Perkins standout Luke Walton. At the time, the homer was a rare occurrence. But no longer. "If you would've told me four or five years ago when I was playing my last high school baseball games that I would be a record holder of a number of records at the University of Findlay, I probably would've told you you're crazy," Farrar said. "I would've asked you what records, probably the most innings sat or most innings watched." Farrar hit 42 home runs at the NCAA Division II level for the University of Findlay, a school record. He drove in 200 runs, batted .306, slugged .546 and set single-season and career records for the Oilers in just about every power category. Now, Farrar is hoping to get the chance to leave the yard some more as a professional baseball player. He's currently in Michigan, playing in the United Shore Professional Baseball League for the Utica Unicorns, at least until the MLB Draft rolls around in mid-July. At that point, a contract could come as an undrafted free agent. "I've always had a confidence in myself," Farrar said. "I've always known that I could be good. I never expected to be this good. I never expected to be where I am today. I'm forever grateful. God has blessed me in a number of ways outside of baseball and inside of baseball. I will literally remember the moments in college, and hopefully in pro, for the rest of my life. It'd be pretty cool one day to tell my kids I was a professional baseball player." Home runs may have looked like destiny for Farrar — his father Brad launched countless pitches over the fence as one of the best men's softball players ever, and older brother Clayton has turned into a prolific softball hitter, too. But Farrar nearly never reached these heights at Findlay. He thought about leaving the sport after a disheartening sophomore season. "Had the sophomore slump," he said. "I don't even really want to talk about that. I was really contemplating ever playing again. I could not hit the baseball square. I don't want to say I'd get lucky, but I would get lucky half the time and hit three home runs that year. That's not where I wanted to be, hitting .250 with three home runs." Farrar, too, played men's softball when he came home for the summer. It took an adjustment away from that sport to capture his best baseball swing. "I'd go play men's softball, and I'd be really good at 19, 20, 21 years old, hitting balls over the fence," Farrar said. "But I actually wasn't that great at baseball. I made a couple adjustments, stood up more in my stance, didn't have that big of a leg kick, really flattened out my swing, changed my aiming point on the baseball and it kind of took off from there. And now, I'm not very good at men's softball." From there, Farrar put together three consecutive seasons with double-digit home runs and 50-plus RBI. He had opportunities to transfer up to the Division I level, but he stayed put. "My goal going into Findlay, and this is where the confidence comes into play, was I wanted to be the best baseball player the University of Findlay ever has," he said. "... I'm glad I stayed where I did. Who knows? I could've sat behind somebody and wouldn't be here right now with an opportunity to play professionally. Wouldn't have found all the friends I did, the teammates. Some of them will be in my wedding, I'm sure. Wouldn't have met my girlfriend." Farrar picked up more attention in his fifth and final year on campus. He attended a pro showcase at Ohio Dominican and played well. He especially picked up interest from the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox had a scout at the Great Midwest Athletic Conference tournament's opening game, too, when Farrar hit a home run 400-plus feet right off another team's arriving bus. "I have a buddy that plays for Northwood," Farrar said. "... He told me when they were arriving for their game, the ball I hit hit their bus in the air." There are no guarantees at this point, and Farrar knows that. He contemplated his next steps with his family and girlfriend. The decision: Keep the dream alive as long as possible. The USPBL is a solid interim point for Farrar, who gets a chance to prove to scouts that he can hit not just D-II pitching but pro arms. "I have the opportunity, and I just need to take advantage of it," Farrar said. "A lot of kids that wish they could be in this spot would definitely jump on it." Whatever happens, Farrar has put his career into a positive perspective. He did so much of what he set out to do. He became the best power hitter in Findlay history. He played on the best offense the Oilers have ever had. He caught the eye of professional scouts. He harnessed an improved approach at the plate to become the latest home run hitter in the Farrar household. Maybe that'll lead to a decade in pro baseball. Maybe it won't. But at the end of the day, Farrar has already put together a baseball career to be proud of. "I've accepted that, if this is it, this is it," Farrar said. "I've done everything I can." --- Cam Farrar's advice to young baseball players "God doesn't judge you on you being a baseball player or how good you are at baseball. Baseball is just a game. I get caught up in the game. My emotions sometimes get the best of me. Personally, that's what makes me Cam. That's what makes me the baseball player I am, playing on emotion. Sometimes, too much emotion takes you completely out of the game. "If I could tell one thing to youngsters coming up that want to be good, it's just, play to have fun. Literally, the last three to four weekends it finally set in that I'm done after this. I can't complain, mope, feel bad for myself. If I get out, I have to cheer on the guy behind me, because maybe he can win the game for us right here. He's not gonna feel my energy sitting in the dugout crying about how I just got out. If that's one thing I could tell ya, always have fun, be a good teammate and play the game with a smile on your face. "It truly is a game. It's not a job. You do it to have fun. That's the most important thing is to have fun. You never lose. You always learn. You either win, or you learn. In baseball, unfortunately, you learn a lot. You're considered great if you learn seven out of ten times."