Jacob Casareto put up video game-type statistics during his five-year career on the Broncos baseball team.
He then capped that illustrious career by being one of 25 players named to the 2009 Class 2A All-State team.
“That was one of my goals at the beginning of the year, actually,” Casareto said Thursday night. “I really had no clue until (Tuesday).”
Casareto, a three-year captain, is the first player to earn all-state honors under head coach Vic Heinlen, who couldn’t say enough about his ace pitcher and shortstop.
“Jacob was the go-to guy for this team,” said Heinlen, who’s headed the Broncos program for nine years. “As Jacob went, the team went. It’s been that way for a couple years. He was the leader of the Broncos team in 2009 and he was the heart and soul of it. People respected him and they looked for him to lead them in all positions. And he did that.”
Casareto’s career batting average in five years is .446, and his earned run average over that same span is 1.89. He hit three home runs in a game as a junior and notched three triples in a game as a senior. He led the Broncos in RBIs over the past three seasons and broke the single season school record for triples in 2009 with seven. He was an All-Arrowhead Conference selection and All-Section 7AA selection for three years. He was named co-MVP of the Broncos the last two seasons.
This year? He hit .546 and posted an ERA of 1.01.
“That’s what I was hoping to happen,” Casareto said about earning all-state honors. “You never really expect anything like that, but it’s a good cap off to me.
“I think it’s a compliment to other kids on the team, too.”
Casareto, who still plans to play Division I baseball at North Dakota State University in the fall, also participated in two All-Star games this summer — the Kernz & Kompany game at Ordean Field in Duluth (where he earned MVP honors), and the Arrowhead Conference game in Nashwauk. He’s currently playing amateur baseball in Hibbing in preparation for the Bison.
