Aquinas coach Cameron, 3B Roberts win honors
St. Thomas Aquinas’ first state baseball championship-winning season in 15 years has been capped with two final honors.
Senior third baseman Caleb Roberts was named Florida’s Mr. Baseball and Troy Cameron was named the state’s Coach of the Year, the Florida Dairy Farmers announced Wednesday morning.
Roberts, a North Carolina signee, led the state in RBI (53), slugging percentage (.988) and doubles (18) as the Raiders’ cleanup hitter. The 6-foot-2 lefty hitter, who can also play catcher, hit .494, drilled six home runs and stole seven bases. He was on base at a .578 clip and scored 27 runs.
His last three RBI of the season essentially sealed the title. He cleared the bases with a triple down the right-field line in the final against Sarasota to turn a one-run lead into four late. Cameron wasn’t surprised at what Roberts was able to accomplish as a senior after battling injuries his first two years on varsity.
“He set records at St. Thomas and obviously led the state in a handful of categories,” Cameron said. “I’m not surprised because you could see how good of a player he was. He just didn’t get that much of a chance to show it the last couple of years because he was hurt.”
Roberts won Mr. Baseball after first being named the Class 8A Player of the Year. Calvary Christian pitcher Christian Scott, who was the 4A representative from the state-champion Eagles, finished third in the voting for the overall state award.
Roberts is in the company of Major League Baseball All-Stars who have won the award. Alex Rodriguez (1993), Jose Fernandez (2011), Andrew McCutchen (2005), Lance McCullers Jr. (2012) and Felipe Lopez (1998) are among past winners. Archbishop McCarthy’s Brian Gonzalez won in 2014, Nova’s Warren McFadden in 2004 and Wellington’s Bobby Bradley in 1999.
Cameron won the coaching honor after leading Aquinas to its third state baseball title and first with him at the helm.
“I’ve got nine varsity coaches, so I’m fortunate,” Cameron said. “I’ve got a lot of guys that have got a lot of pride in the program and are very knowledgeable coaches, so I might get the credit for things when I don’t necessarily deserve all of it.”
Jupiter coach Andy Mook finished second after leading the Warriors to their first state title (Class 9A). Calvary Christian’s Alan Kunkel was sixth.
In the past, Stoneman Douglas’ Todd Fitz-Gerald (2016), Wellington and Palm Beach Central’s Scott Benedict (1999, 2006) and Nova’s Pat McQuaid (2004) have won.
dfurones@ sunsentinel.com / @DavidFurones_