Joining the ranks of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League at 16 years old, Cam Batchelor provides the Waldorf College hockey team with an understanding of what it takes to excel on the ice, according to a press release.

Batchelor, a 6-foot-2-inch defenseman and a Southdale, Michigan, native, signed a letter of intent Friday with the Warriors.

“Cam comes to us with quite a bit of high-level experience,” said Waldorf coach Brett Shelanski. “That experience will serve him and the program well right from the start of his college career.”

Moving to Minnesota nine years ago, Batchelor graduated from St. Michael-Albertville High School in 2012. He was a three-year varsity letter winner for the Knights and served as a team captain during his senior season.

During his prep career, Batchelor was named to the Mississippi 8 Conference’s All-Academic Team three times and received the Distinguished Academic Award. He continued to find success in the MnJHL and was an assistant captain for the Maple Grove Energy during the 2011-12 season.

Batchelor is the son of Scott and Suzanne Batchelor. He plans to study business at Waldorf. Initially, Batchelor was primarily interested in the college’s hockey program. He learned there was more to be excited about after visiting the Forest City campus.

“Once I got on campus, I realized that there is so much more to Waldorf,” Batchelor said. “From the faculty to the facilities, I really felt like Waldorf was a breath of fresh air and would be a good fit for me. I really look forward to these next few years and the challenges and accomplishments that my teammates and I will go through.”

Batchelor is the fifth member of Waldorf’s 2014-15 recruiting class. He joins the Warriors, who are coming off a record-setting season. Waldorf established a new school record for wins, turning in a 23-9-3 record during the 2014-15 campaign.

The Warriors clinched a share of the Northern Collegiate Hockey League regular-season title with an 8-4 league record during the conference’s inaugural season and went on to capture the NCHL Tournament championship. Waldorf ended the year with a No. 10 ranking in the final American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II Central Region poll and qualified for the regional tournament for the second consecutive season.

Enrolling at Waldorf, Batchelor is looking forward to continuing his education and athletic career.

“As a high school player and then onto college, I always had aspirations to get my degree while playing hockey,” Batchelor said. “It’s great that I finally get to do that and with a competitive team that I think can go places, so it’s great to be a part of.”

With the 2015-16 season set to begin in September, Batchelor’s new coach is ready to watch him make an impact for the Warriors.

“He is very sound on the defensive side of the puck and can also start the breakout with a first pass that can get us up the ice quickly,” Shelanski said. “Cam is an excellent addition to our team and we look forward to his contributions.”