Baseball: Flacco named preseason Mr. Baseball

By Phil Anastasia

Eastern senior Tom Flacco has been named New Jersey's preseason "Mr. Baseball" by Maxpreps.

The award designates Flacco as the top returning player in the state.

Flacco, an outfielder who also plays third base, batted .412 last season with 42 hits and 15 extra-base hits.

He generated five home runs and eight doubles, drove in 38 runs and scored 38 runs.

Flacco helped Eastern to a 29-4 record and the Group 4 state title -- just the school's second state title in a boys' sport in 47 years.

Flacco also was second-team All-South Jersey this past fall as a quarterback. He led the Vikings to a 10-2 record and the South Jersey Group 4 title game.

He is weighing college scholarship offers in football from schools such as Delaware and Coastal Carolina but could project as a high draft choice in baseball because of his speed, smooth left-handed stroke and production at the plate.

Flacco also is a starting guard for Eastern's basketball team, which is ranked No. 7 in South Jersey by The Inquirer.

-- Contact Phil Anastasia at panastasia@phillynews.com

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