Belmont Cameli, who stars as hockey captain Garrett Graham in Amazon Prime’s “Off Campus” (currently the platform’s No. 1 series) recently joined SiriusXM host Dani Wexelman on MLB Network Radio’s “The Leadoff Spot,” where he opened up about learning to play hockey for the role, throwing out the first pitch for his beloved White Sox, and why he believes Chicago’s South Siders are finally building something special.

Belmont CameliStream the full, exclusive interviewListen on the AppListen on the App MAY 26, 2026 • “The Leadoff Spot” • MLB Network Radio Steve Phillips and Dani Wexelman recap Monday’s action across Major League Baseball and chat with Tony Mansolino and “Off Campus” star Belmont Cameli.

A Fever Pitch

For Cameli, a Naperville, IL, native and lifelong Chicago sports fan, stepping onto the mound at Guaranteed Rate Field was a surreal full-circle moment.

“That whole thing was a fever dream. I cannot believe that happened to me,” Cameli said. “Chicago sports are a huge part of my identity. If you talk to me for five minutes, you’ll hear me mention one of my teams.”

The moment also brought back memories of the White Sox’s historic 2005 World Series run.

“I was seven years old … but I’ll never forget it,” he recalled. “I have a very vivid memory of being in my living room in the home I grew up in with my whole family. I’ve never seen my father so animated.”

Cameli’s ceremonial first pitch happened ahead of a pivotal three-game series against the rival Cubs, which the White Sox won two games to one. According to the actor, the series victory felt like a turning point.

“The Cubs are no joke, but once we won that series against them, it really is starting to feel like these White Sox are gonna be a problem,” he said.

Team Culture and Emerging Stars

Cameli credited second-year manager Will Venable for helping establish a new identity for the franchise.

“It’s really nice to watch him put into practice what he’s promised,” Cameli said. “There’s a real culture.”

That energy, he added, is especially evident during games against the Cubs.

“When we were playing the Cubs, the guys are up in the dugout — that rivalry is really alive right now,” he said. “It’s kind of reminiscent of the Bears-Packers thing going on. It’s having this great revival.”

The actor also praised the team’s blend of emerging stars and veteran leadership, singling out players including Colson Montgomery, Munetaka Murakami, Andrew Benintendi, and Randal Grichuk.

“I think it’s emblematic of the culture of the White Sox themselves,” Cameli explained. “They’re the second team in Chicago. They’re not the Dodgers — we don’t have superstar after superstar batting one through four.”

Instead, he said, the team’s chemistry is becoming its biggest strength.

“Our team is a really great amalgamation of talent,” he continued. “I think we have some great vets in the room now that make a big difference, especially to those younger guys who have a lot of talent and are starting to really show up in big ways. I like the mix of it. I think whatever’s happening right now is really working.”

Learning Hockey for ‘Off Campus’

While Cameli has spent much of the year talking baseball, “Off Campus” required him to fully immerse himself in another sport.

“I had never played hockey before,” he admitted. “As soon as I booked Garrett Graham, I went and I started training by myself in L.A.”

Once production moved to Vancouver, the cast underwent an intensive hockey boot camp to prepare for filming.

“Amazon provided us a great coaching staff, really good support system, all the best gear, and a clean sheet to skate on for two and a half hours every single day,” Cameli said. “So it was a real grind.”

Still, the hard work paid off.

“I am happy to say now that I can skate fast and stop hard,” he joked.

Behind the Scenes on the Ice

Cameli also marveled at the athleticism and technical precision of the show’s crew, many of whom had to maneuver complex camera rigs while skating on the ice alongside the cast.

“You would be really impressed by the skating ability of our crew,” he said. “We built a bunch of different rigs for camera. There’s the puck cam, which slides across the ice, and it has a robotic lens that somebody’s controlling remotely.”

He continued, “Sean, our camera operator, is skating around pushing the sled. We built a rig for camera that we push ourselves that shoots up into our grill, so that’s getting the reaction shots. It’s a really innovative process.”

And according to Cameli, one behind-the-scenes MVP stood out above the rest.

“Genuinely, Albert, who is our sound guy, is the best skater in the arena at any given moment,” he said. “He’s incredible.”