The National Team Championships North Carolina is USA Baseball’s premier travel baseball tournament, held at the National Training Complex. Each summer, the top travel baseball teams in the country travel to Cary, North Carolina, to see who has what it takes to be the best of the best.
Across the 13U to 17U age groups, top talent stays around the complex each year. If they have what it takes, players can compete across multiple age groups during their travel careers. For Camden Boehm, that was reality – stretching time across 13U,14U, and now back for 17U, Boehm is ready to compete in his third Champs NC.
As one of the top arms in the 2027 class, Boehm is familiar with suiting up for the stars and stripes, making the 2024 15U National Team and participating in last year's National Team Development Program. Following his upcoming senior season of high school, the Florida Native is committed to play college at Ole Miss.
The talent that comes through Champs NC is unlike any other travel baseball tournament. Countless commits and top-ranked players across the country make this event a must-stop shop for college and MLB scouts. Boehm is among the top-ranked players as an elite right-handed pitcher. Acknowledging the talent here, Boehm knows there is no such thing as an easy out and every pitch is a grind.
“It’s the best talent in the nation, and I just strive to get back here every year and play against the best players,” said Boehm.
Marking his third trip to Cary, Boehm knows the eyes are on him and understands the tournament can make or break players. Something that stood out to Boehm is how different the types of hitters you face here can be, all while trying to have fun.
“There are elite-level hitters and elite-level pitching, and, obviously, all the coaches here are very smart about game planning. The scouts are here looking at everybody. It's just fun to play in front of all these types of people.”
Boehm is in familiar territory with being surrounded by a heavy scouting presence, as he’s committed to play for Ole Miss. The Rebs have been building a great program, having won the College World Series Championship in 2022. With a big turnaround at the end of the season, Ole Miss is yelling Hotty-Toddy to Omaha this year, eclipsing their seventh appearance in program history. Boehm couldn't be more thankful to be in his position with his commitment.
“I’m super grateful for my opportunities there, and I'm looking forward to next year of high school, and then eventually being there on campus to get to work with the coaching staff,” said Boehm.
Making the 15U National Team in 2024, Boehm looks back on his opportunity as one he won’t ever forget. Learning a ton and soaking in all the information provided to him, Boehm completely relished his experience.
“It was an awesome experience; I loved the players and coaches. I learned so much and looking forward to hopefully getting a chance back at it. We played against Australia, and we were just a good team. I went out there and gave them my best stuff,” said Boehm.
One thing Boehm specifically mentioned as something he took away from his experience was learning how to game plan. Being a pitcher is such a complicated position where everything is strategic. For Boehm, learning how to pitch aggressively and not be scared of a hitter was key.
“Just attacking hitters and going after them, no matter who they are and where they ranked, and the outcome will be good.”
A solid pitching performance in today's game at Champs NC saw Boehm go four innings of work, not allowing a single hit while striking out seven. Knowing that the scouts and USA Baseball Task Force were watching, Boehm showed out, looking for an opportunity to play for Team USA again.
“It would mean everything to wear my country’s colors again. That 15U experience was the best time of my life,” said Boehm.
As this year's 17U Champs NC comes to a close, Boehm will continue to show why he's made multiple trips to Cary for this tournament as one of the top players in his class.
