CollegeBaseballInsider.com Co-Founder

Campbell has won more than 40 games in each of the past three seasons, including a school-record 49 in 2013 when it won the Big South Conference regular-season title but was bypassed for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Justin Haire helped build the Camels as recruiting coordinator for Greg Goff, who left to lead the program at Louisiana Tech. Now, after seven years as an assistant, Haire takes over a team that won the Big South tourney title and appeared in its first NCAA tourney since 1990.

In addition to helping Campbell to a school record in wins in 2013, he’s been a part of staffs at two other schools that set records for wins: Sterling College (37) in 2004 and Ouachita Baptist University (50) in 2007.

Haire took time to answer questions from CBI.

First Inning – After seven years as an assistant at Campbell, how has the transition been to leading the program?

It has really been fun and exciting transition. After having been an assistant for 11 years, seven here at Campbell, you always have your own ideas and theories on how things should run or things you would like to do. Now I am in the position to make those things happen more than I ever have been before, and that’s what getting the chance to be promoted is really all about.

Second Inning – How did working with Coach Goff prepare you for being a head coach? Was there any thought of joining him at Louisiana Tech?

Working for Coach for seven years and knowing him for the last 10 has given me an appreciation for what this job requires. Coach allowed me to experience a lot of what he was going through as the leader of young men and helped to guide me as a young coach. He also gave me a lot of responsibility to run with and learn the ropes by letting me go out and do – whether it was recruiting, or coaching or taking care of a facility – he helped build my resume to the point that I felt ready to take this position.

In terms of me going with him to LaTech…I think that if things didn’t work out for me to continue building the winning tradition that we started, I would have gladly headed south with him and Rick McCarty to try and get that program turned around, just as we did here. Thankfully, I think for all of us, the administration here never let me even consider leaving, and when you feel wanted at a place where you have spent so much time and effort, it made it a no-brainer for me to stay.

Third Inning – The past two years have been the most successful in Camels history. Describe the emotions of that 2013 season when you fell short of an NCAA bid and winning the Big South in 2014.

As crazy as it seems, that day in 2013, Selection Monday when we didn’t get in, was the most difficult day that I have ever had in my career. We have been through all kinds of bad days over the last 11 years, but that one was the toughest. When you have to look at 13 seniors ending their college career in a dining room of a restaurant after having the fourth most wins in the country…that’s tough to swallow. But, then you turn around one year later in the same dining room at the same restaurant, and because of the determination and perseverance of that year’s seniors in the conference tournament, we had the most thrilling day in program history. It’s a crazy game, and a crazy sport, and you just hope that you can continue to put your players in a position to be successful and when it’s all said and done you have more days like we did in 2014 and less like we did in 2013.

Fourth Inning – What do the Camels have to do to stay at or near the top of the Big South?

The first thing we have to do is continue to develop the players in our system. We have shown that our aggressive style of play, solid defense and competitive pitching has been a good recipe for being in the mix for the conference title the last three years. In addition, we have to continue to work hard on the recruiting front, finding players from anywhere in the country that we feel are a good fit for our program, then build that relationship and then have them buy into the family atmosphere that makes this place special.

Fifth Inning – What are some of your team’s strengths heading into 2015?

Our biggest strength, I think, will be in our position player depth. We have a number of different guys that will be able to contribute on the offensive side of the ball. We can go with some guys that can drive the ball, we can go with some guys that can really run and we can go with a combination of the two. We have always been really good at putting pressure on the opposing defenses, and I think that we will have a good group of guys that will be able to continue to do that in a number of different ways.

Sixth Inning – If you could advise a young hitter with one or two pieces of advice or philosophies, what would you say?

Two things that I think hitters in general need to be able to do to be successful: use the whole field and be able to adjust with two-strikes. We are constantly stressing to our guys the importance of having the ability to use the whole field when hitting against quality pitching.  Then, when you do get to two strikes, have the ability to adjust and battle for as long as you can in the box.

Seventh Inning – What are three things you look for when recruiting hitters?

Three things that I grade out when recruiting hitters:

1.) Bat Speed

2.) Swing Plane

3.) Overall hitting ability…the ability to put the good part of the bat on the ball consistently.

Eighth Inning – What are some of your immediate goals for the Camels?

Continue to build on the Winning Tradition that we have established over the last seven years. Compete for championships. Find a way to take Campbell Baseball to the next level. [And] develop leaders and great young men that will be great husbands, fathers, and people.

Ninth Inning – What is your favorite baseball movie?

Bull Durham, with The Sandlot a very close second.