STONINGTON — It would not be a stretch, if you pay respect to Gametime CT’s fantastic sports website, to say that Cam Ogden came out of nowhere to earn the website’s 2026 Player of the Year honor on its All-State baseball team.

The Bears’ pitcher-hitter, headed to Division I George Washington with a scholarship, landed the prestigious honor a few days ago. Ogden hit a state-best 12 home runs to go with his .438 batting average, .950 slugging percentage, 36 RBI and 37 hits. He was a dominant pitcher despite a 4-4 record, turning in a 1.95 ERA, 0.99 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning) and 106 strikeouts in 57 innings.

Despite earning Class M All-State as a junior, Ogden was incredibly not listed among the top 50 players in the state in Gametime CT’s pre-season best player list. Three Bacon Academy players, two Montville players and even a player from a rare-struggling Fitch squad made it, but not Ogden.

Tht’s a swing and a miss. But in the end, Gametime CT made things right.

“I’m beyond proud of Camden,” coach Billy Keane said. “He puts in a lot of work in the off-season. He came every 6 a.m. winter workout three days a week. He has been a great leader and role model for underclassmen. He puts in more work behind the scenes than any high school athlete I’ve been around.”

Odgen’s 12 home runs put him over the top of an impressive list of candidates. Jules Cicero, leadoff batter for Class LL champion Staples was Connecticut High School Coaches Association Player of the Year after batting .526 with a school-record 50 hits (12 doubles and five homers). He will play at James Madison.

Ryan Ventrelle, a shortstop at Fairfield Prep, was selected as Gatorade Player of the Year. The Notre Dame commit batted .481 with 35 RBI but just two homers. Ogden’s power display at the plate and on the mound make him a unique candidate.

The Eastern Connecticut Conference thought so when it picked Ogden as Player of the Year. The 6-foot, 205-pound Ogden was known more for his pitching while posting a 6-2 record, including a no-hitter, and leading the Bears to the Class M state semifinals in 2025.

“I never thought of myself as a power hitter before this year,” Ogden said. He hit two homers as a junior. “I never made enough consistent contact. This year, I made consistent contact and hit a lot of barrels. The ball jumped off my bat.”

You can say Stonington came out of nowhere to accomplish so much and reach the Class finals, according to media types. The Day’s Gameday had the Bears only as high as No. 8 in preseason polls in an area pre-season poll. Gameday selected Stonington (19-7) No. 1 in its final poll, ahead of ECC regular season Division I and tournament champion East Lyme.

Stonington came ever so close to its first state championship since 1960. The Bears were one out away on two occasions, leading 4-3, in the seventh and 5-4, in the eighth before falling 6-5 in the ninth inning to St. Paul Catholic.

Ogden’s team attitude impressed Keane as much as his production on the field.

“Although the personal awards deserve to be recognized, he was more concerned about the team’s success,” Keane said. “He has come a long way during his four-year career as a player a person, especially at the plate. He truly deserves Gametime CT Player of the Year. I am happy he’s getting the recognition he deserves and all the hard work is being noticed.”