Fresh off a Class C State Championship win on Saturday over Bucksport, Caleb Vacchiano from Sacopee Valley High School has been named the recipient of Mr. Maine Baseball during an awards ceremony on Wednesday night.
Vacchiano becomes the first Hawks player in the history of the school to win the prestigious award given to the top senior baseball player in the state. He also won Maine Gatorade Player of the Year earlier this month, which was also a first for Sacopee Valley. The power hitting shortstop and right handed pitcher will continue his baseball career in Orono with the University of Maine Black Bears. The other finalists included Marky Axelson (Greely), Noah Carpenter (Leavitt), Trent Drouin (Oak Hill), Jackson Lizzotte (Old Town), Colin Peckham (Hampden Academy), and Brennan Rumphy (Falmouth).
Vacchiano hit .465 with five homeruns, eight doubles, and drove in 19 runs this season. He also scored 28 times and had nine stolen bases. On defense he had 18 putouts, 28 assists, and only one error (.979 fielding percentage) helping his Hawks win it all culminating with a comeback 4-3 victory over the Golden Bucks in the state final. Vacchiano also pitched in seven games allowing six earned runs with just five walks and 36 strikeouts in 28.2 innings. His record was 3-0 with a 1.46 earned run average.
Sacopee Valley head coach Jamie Stacey, who has won a state title as a player (1992) and now as a coach of the Hawks said, “Caleb is the hardest working and most dedicated high school baseball player that I’ve seen. His work ethic and drive to be better is second to none. Due to his dedication to his craft he has turned himself into one of the best young players I’ve laid eyes upon. He’s never satisfied and never settles. He is such a humble kid. So humble that I don’t think he realizes how good he actually is. He has a high baseball IQ. He understands when he’s not doing something right and he knows exactly how to fix it. I’ve said it for a while now but Caleb is the best high school hitter I’ve seen with my own eyes. It’s not just his hitting. Caleb is a solid fielder with an above average glove and arm. He rarely makes an error and when the ball is hit his way you’re confident the out will be made. This year was a little different for Caleb. He was intentionally walked roughly on average of twice a game. When he wasn’t being walked he had to hit balls out of the zone which goes against his disciplined nature”.
Stacey went on to add, “He is also a natural leader who leads by example. No matter how things are going he’s always lifting up his teammates. You can always find Caleb working with his younger teammates helping them to fine tune their game and what adjustments they could make to become more successful. Caleb was a starter for me as a freshman. It’s hard saying goodbye to someone like him. Not because of the baseball player but because of the person that is Caleb Vacchiano. I wasn’t just his coach but also a fan. He will do great things at Maine I have no doubt. He will make sure of it”.
