FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason baseball head coach
Shawn Camp was presented with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Distinguished Alumni-Staff Award on Saturday evening.
Each year the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) celebrates individuals whose leadership, research, service, and contributions have made outstanding contributions to their industries, their communities, and to George Mason University.
On the evening on Nov. 8, CCHS honored 28 of the college's change makers, alumni who are driven to improve the world around them, at the annual Community and Catalysts event. These CHSS alumni, students, faculty, and staff have showcased how the humanities and social sciences drive our community forward in advancing cutting-edge research, impactful service, and critical competencies for today's global and knowledge-based economy.
Remarks by
Shawn Camp on the award
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Camp, a Fairfax native, joined the Patriots as pitching coach before the 2020 season, was elevated to associate head coach prior to the 2022 season and took over the program as the head coach prior to the 2023 campaign.
In his first year as head coach, Camp guided the Patriots to 36 wins, the most by the program since 2009, and the club set new program records for stolen bases and strikeouts in a season. In 2023, the Patriots won the Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship for the second time in program history and earned a berth in the NCAA Winston-Salem Regional. The Patriots defeated Northeastern and Maryland to advance to the Regional Final for the first time in program history.
The club won 40 games and set seven team offensive records in 2025, with five players breaking single-season marks. The team's 20 Atlantic 10 wins were the most for the Patriots since joining the league in 2014. The Patriots broke the NCAA record for runs in an inning that was set in 1984 with 23 in the second inning against Holy Cross on March 4, 2025 at Spuhler Field.
The collective GPA of the Patriots fall team was 3.54, the highest-ever for the program.
Camp, a catcher in high school at James W. Robinson, converted to a pitcher while at George Mason and played for the Patriots from 1995 through 1997. He was selected in the 16th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft by the San Diego Padres and played 18 years of professional baseball, with 11 seasons in the majors with five clubs, appearing in 541 major league games for the Kansas City Royals, Tamps Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies. He finished his career with a 29-33 record, 12 saves, and compiled 405 career strikeouts. Camp led MLB with a career-high 80 appearances for the Cubs during the 2012 season.
