Behind a record-setting game from third baseman Ryan Campbell, Eastern cruised to a 22-10 victory over Chicago State Wednesday afternoon at Coaches Stadium.

Campbell tied former catcher Bret Pignatiello’s record with three home runs in one game and went 4-5 at the plate with six RBIs and four runs scored. The Orland Park native hit a two-run shot in the first, a three-run bomb in the fourth and closed out his homer-run spree with another two-run blast in the seventh. Campbell also set the school mark for most home runs in one game by a freshman.

“I was definitely locked in at the plate today and seeing the ball really well,” Campbell said. “I was what you would call ‘in the zone,’ it just felt really good and comfortable in the batter’s box.”

Campbell’s had no problem adjusting to the college level at the plate. The powerful third baseman leads the team with a .349 batting average, 10 doubles, four home runs, 51 total bases, .614 slugging percentage and is tied for the lead with 14 RBI.

“It’s not to big of a difference from high school pitching to the college level pitching,” Campbell said. “But overall you will see much better consistency from college pitchers.”

Despite adding two more errors Wednesday for a team high 13, Panthers head coach Jimmy Schmitz said the freshman is coming along in the field and has the knack of making a phenomenal play but following the gem up with an error.

“The thing that Campbell isn’t doing is making the routine error, so we’re really happy with that,” Schmitz said. “I’m not making an excuse for him, it’s a wet ground today so the balls weren’t coming very hard, but I thought, even against Tennessee-Martin [last weekend], it’s unbelievable some of the plays he makes and then all of the sudden he made a mental error.”

Campbell said he has no problem handling the “hot corner,” but every now and then he gets a ball that eats him up.

“I feel comfortable out there, it’s just sometimes I get a tricky hop that causes me to make a bad play,” Campbell said.

According to Schmitz, Campbell has been working with senior shortstop Kyle Haines in an attempt to stay more focused in the field, but overall Schmitz said Campbell has been solid.

Schmitz said, “I think he’s playing really well. We just need him to get more into the game and assume what will happen on the play because those are the errors he’s kind of making.”