MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — True freshman Cam Cannarella is a current starter for Clemson baseball team and is a local graduate from Hartsville.

In his rookie season, he already is leading the Tiger’s offense in almost every offensive stat, including batting over .400.

Cannarella’s baseball journey goes back to his time at Hartsvillle High School. Even as an underclassman, he was hitting over .400 and was the top offensive leader for the Red Foxes.

“I started in Hartsville and I was in tenth grade when I got on varsity,” Cannarella said. “It was the COVID year, so we didn’t really have a season. I just kept on working and working and by my 11^th grade year, that’s when I started getting phone calls and my coaches were helping me out.”

Cannarella’s coaches helped guide him along his journey to Clemson, but his family members would have to trade sides of the palmetto rivalry to support him.

“In the summer, my coaches helped me, and Clemson called me,” Cannarella said. “They offered me, and me and my family wanted to talk about it because most of my family were Carolina fans. They were just saying go wherever you want to go.”

Earlier in the week, Cannarella hit a walk off three-run homerun against Winthrop. While he might be making it look easy, the elite pitching has been his biggest obstacle.

“The hardest thing to overcome is the pitching because in high school and travel ball you are seeing 80-85 MPH, maybe 90 MPH,” Cannarella said. “The pitching now in the ACC, you see +90, that’s the biggest thing that I had to adjust to and be ready for.”

The Clemson Tigers will take on Georgia Tech in a three-game series starting on Friday for its first road ACC contest of the season.