- Caleb Jacobs of Hawthorne was named Rural Player of the Year for leading his team in multiple offensive categories with a .493 batting average.
- Chris Marlo of Trenton earned Rural Coach of the Year honors after leading his team to a 17-5 record and district semifinals.
- Carson Long, a freshman at Saint Francis Catholic Academy, received 1A Player of the Year with a .536 batting average and strong pitching stats.
- Roen Kresak of Buchholz was named 6A Player of the Year and Chris Malphurs was recognized as 6A Coach of the Year for their outstanding season performances.
On Thursday, the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) announced its District 7 baseball players and coaches of the year.
District 7, which includes Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy, Alachua and Marion counties, selected five players and three coaches from the Mainstreet Daily News coverage area.
Hawthorne junior Caleb Jacobs was named the Rural Player of the Year.
Jacobs led the Hornets (11-10) in almost every offensive category, including batting average (.493), hits (34), runs batted in (36 RBI), runs scored (36 RS), slugging percentage (.783), doubles (8), triples (3) and home runs (2).
“Caleb reminds me a lot of his dad (Robby) when he played for me during my first coaching stint,” said Hawthorne coach Matt Surrency. “He has a high baseball IQ, has played his entire life, works hard and is a strong competitor. He challenges his teammates to be better.”
He also finished with a .800 fielding percentage.
“Defensively, he covers a lot of ground in the outfield and has a cannon that catches would-be base runners from taking extra bases,” Surrency said. “Scary thing is, he still has a lot of upside and potential to get better with several colleges showing a lot of interest.”
Trenton’s Chris Marlo was named the FACA District 7 Rural Coach of the Year.
“It’s an honor to be recognized for the second straight year as the FACA coach of the year,” he said. “I definitely value this because of my passion for baseball and coaching the game, but at the end of the day, it’s about the team. I’m only as good as my players and they’ve done a great job representing Trenton and playing the game the right way. These kids have progressed year after year and continue to get better. This award goes out to not just me but also my assistant coaches, players and parents.”
The Tigers (17-5), who defeated Chiefland, 5-0, on Thursday night in the district semifinals, will host Williston at 7 p.m. tonight for the Rural-District 7 title.
Carson Long of Saint Francis Catholic Academy was named the 1A Player of the Year.
“Carson has been a tremendous player for us all season,” said first-year Saint Francis Catholic Academy coach Chris Santamarina, who was named the FACA District 7 Class 1A Coach of the Year. “He’s the type of athlete every coach wants because he works hard every day, leads by example, and always puts the team first.”
The freshman has a team-best .536 batting average and leads his team in on-base percentage (.683), slugging percentage (.929), RBI (30), runs scored (30), home runs (4) and stolen bases (27).
He is also 6-2 on the mound with a 2.84 earned run average. He has 16 walks and 60 strikeouts in 44.1 innings pitched.
“He’s been one of the most consistent players we’ve had, offensively and defensively and his competitiveness really sets the tone for everyone around him,” Santamarina said.
Santamarina was recognized after leading the Wolves (21-4) to a second straight district title and regional playoff appearance (Saturday, April 25, TBD).
“I’m very honored to be recognized, but this season has really been about our players and staff,” he said. “We’ve had a group that bought in from day one, worked extremely hard, and played for each other all year. Winning the district title and having the season we’ve had is a credit to the commitment of the entire team.”
He said to build a championship program, “you must have a village of supporters, a great staff and the ability to have open conversations with players and coaches.”
“Respect goes a long way, if your players know you love them and see the fight you do for them as a coach/mentor to make them a better individual, the level of commitment is unmatched,” Santamarina said. “Having open communication with your players and keeping God at the top helps too.”
University of Florida commit Tavis Honeycutt was named the Class 2A Player of the Year.
Honeycutt has had a big junior season for the Panthers (18-6), who are playing at Trinity Catholic (Ocala) at 7 p.m. tonight for the Class 2A-District 4 title.
According to MaxPreps, Honeycutt leads the nation in home runs (16) and is fifth nationally in slugging percentage (1.426), 10th in RBI (49), and 22nd in runs scored (.47). His .590 batting average ranks fourth in Florida.
The FACA District 7 Class 5A Player of the Year is Cade Dixon of Gainesville High School.
“I’ve always thought Cade was a bit of a ‘silent assassin’ on the mound,” said GHS coach Adrian Ramos. “Cool under pressure with easy velocity and the ability to put up 15 K’s in a game (at Belleview on Feb. 20). Anytime he was on the mound, we had a shot to win, and he delivered game after game this year. He also did not want to be a PO, so he worked hard in the cages and forced his way into the lineup with a .320 avg, while also giving baserunners pause by touting a cannon from right field.”
Dixon suffered a broken jaw against Oak Hall School on March 25 but still managed to throw 39 pitches on Wednesday in a 6-5 loss to Belleview in the Class 5A-District 5 semifinals, was 3-1 this season with a team-best 2.86 ERA.
“His toughness was on full display when he started the day after getting his wiring removed from a broken jaw, also putting us in position to win a semifinal matchup. He seemed to put it all together this year, even with that major setback. He’s loved by his teammates, and it’s been a pleasure watching him become the young man he is.
Rounding out the list was 6A POY Roen Kresak of Buchholz High School.
“The best description of Roen Kresak is he is a complete baseball player,” said first-year Buchholz coach Chris Malphurs, who was named the FACA District 7 Class 6A COY. “He’s tough, physical and has a great baseball IQ. He’s a legacy here at Buchholz. His brother Caden was a top player here and we’re looking forward to having his little brother, Evan, in two years’ time. We’re fortunate to have the Kresak family in our program.”
The junior leads the Bobcats (18-7) in batting average (.436), OBP (.500) and hits (34), and he is tied for the team lead with seven doubles and one triple.
“Roen will make his 62nd straight start at 3B for the Bobcats tonight (vs. Tocoi Creek in the Class 6A-District 2 championship game),” Malphurs said. “He is an incredible defender who I would have no issue putting at SS or 2B if there was a need. He can also make an impact on the mound.”
Kresak has made three appearances on the mound this season with a 4.67 ERA.
“He will pitch much more in his senior season,” Malphurs said. “Any other year, he’d have a bunch more innings, but our pitching staff is very deep and very good. There are just not many innings up for grabs. Offensively, he’s been ultra productive, leading or being one of the tops on the team in all offensive categories. Not to mention he’s done all this against what MaxPreps has ranked as the toughest schedule in Class 6A. Couldn’t be prouder to be his coach.”
Malphurs received the honor after leading the Bobcats to a No. 5 ranking in Class 6A, including the No. 2 seed in 6A-Region 1, and back to the district title game.
“I’m always humbled and honored to be recognized for this because you’re voted in by your peers,” he said. “Make no mistake, though, the only reason for the recognition is because we first have a great group of kids and secondly because I have such an experienced and skilled coaching staff. A group of men who are great mentors, great teachers and great leaders. They show up every day and work tirelessly to make Buchholz as good as we can be. This is more of a reflection on them than it is me.”
In addition to Kresak’s honor, college signees Blake Brewer and Reed Thomas were selected for the FACA All-Star game.
“Pretty cool to have two from our team,” Malphurs said. “It’s a hard thing to even get one since we only get three spots from our area.”
FACA District 7 Player of the Year
Rural: Caleb Jacobs (Hawthorne)
1A: Carson Long (Saint Francis Catholic Academy)
2A: Tavis Honeycutt (Newberry)
3A: CJ Sayler (North Marion)
4A: Spencer Payne (Ocala Vanguard)
5A: Cade Dixon (Gainesville)
6A: Roen Kresak (Buchholz)
7A: Cole Cordes (Ocala West Port)
FACA District 7 Coach of the Year
Rural: Chris Marlo (Trenton)
1A: Chris Santamarina (Saint Francis Catholic Academy)
2A: Tommy Bond (Ocala Trinity Catholic)
3A: Dale Hall (North Marion)
4A: Scott Schaub (Ocala Vanguard)
5A: Jared Moseley (Belleview)
6A: Chris Malphurs (Buchholz)
7A: Samuel Mason (Ocala West Port)