BURLINGTON – Rex Hauser got some help from his teammates in the biggest moments last week as the reigning Vermont Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year and his St. Johnsbury Academy (SJA) team outlasted top seeded Mt. Anthony to capture the Division I state title.
Fellow senior Will Eaton provided the game winning single in the top of the sixth for his second hit of the game to power the Hilltoppers to a comeback 9-7 win in the title game Friday night at Centennial Field. Carson Finn relieved Hauser after 80 pitches, striking out a pair in three innings of work to earn the win. Finn was a perfect 3-3 at the plate with a double and Connor Decker powered the offense for the comeback with a triple and three-run double. It was the first state championship for the Hilltopper program in nine years.
Earlier this month, Hauser became the first high school athlete in state history to earn Gatorade Player of the Year honors in both baseball and basketball. The 6-foot-6 senior led SJA on the mound with a 5-1 record, striking out 59 and walking only seven in 39 innings of work. He was equally impressive offensively, batting over .500, belting 4 homers, while driving in 17 runs on the season. This past winter, Hauser led the Hilltoppers to the Division I Final Four, averaging over 23 points and nine rebounds per game. Hauser will attend the University of Maine next fall.
