Baylor’s Valincius repeats as Mr. Baseball winner
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — For the fourth consecutive year, Tennessee’s Mr. Baseball award in Division II-AA has been awarded to a Baylor School standout.
Tomas Valincius became the first Red Raider to repeat with the honor, as the Virginia signee was recognized by the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association as the best player in his classification on Tuesday in Murfreesboro.
“To be the first repeat winner for Baylor is awesome, but this week is all about the team,” Valincius said. “We have built such a great connection. They give me the confidence when I’m hitting or on the mound. I’m ready to go win a state championship with them. That is the one thing I’m missing in my high school career.”
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Valincius has an 8-0 record with a 1.14 ERA and 74 strikeouts over 43 innings. Opposing hitters have a .199 on-base percentage against him, with just 22 hits and eight walks.
Meanwhile, the lefty has also shined at the plate with a .453 average, 10 home runs and 40 RBIs. Valincius has 26 home runs in 221 at-bats in his Baylor career.
MLB.com lists Valincius as the No. 142 overall prospect for this July’s Major League Baseball draft.
“I started training at a young age with my brother Vytas,” Tomas said. “Seeing his work ethic helped motivate me. My dream is to make it to the MLB. I will do whatever it takes to get there.
“Baylor has really helped mold me. From coaches (Greg) Elie and (Mike) Kinney to our strength coach Brice Johnson, they have helped me become a complete ball player.”
Boyd Buchanan senior Cooper Jones and Lookout Valley senior Rylan Collins were both recognized as Mr. Baseball finalists in Division II-A and Class A, respectively.
Jones has led the Bucs to the state Final Four with a 7-0 record, 2.03 ERA with 57 strikeouts over 44 1/3 innings. He also is batting .475 with 19 extra base hits, 58 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.
Collins hit .451 with 21 extra base hits, 44 RBIs and 15 stolen bases while striking out 82 over 47 1/3 innings for Lookout Valley.