Sackett heads list of Tribunes moving on to four-year schools

When a spot opened up on the Butler University Baseball roster, Sackett filled a need and next spring the former Fairport Red Raider will start getting acquainted with the various airports in and around the cities of the Big East Conference.

"I'm very grateful," Sackett said by phone. "It felt pretty amazing (to get the scholarship offer). It was quite the process."

This past spring, Sackett topped the MCC lineup in batting average (.416), extra-base hits (19), and slugging percentage (.703), but it was his work in the classroom that helped secure a spot at Butler.

A Biomedical Science major, he is looking to continue at a dental school when his playing career ends. Finding a school like Butler was important for Sackett.

"A big part of it was going to a good school that I could eventually go to a dental school out of. All of those good schools, they don't even take applications at this point. Besides baseball, it was like, okay, what am I going to do for school? There were definitely a couple weeks where I was nervous. Staying faithful."

Monroe head coach Dave Brust understood the challenges Sackett faced.

"Ultimately, we had to wait out the portal," Brust said. "Nothing was happening. It was hard to believe. His grades are excellent. He's on the Dean's List every semester.

"It's the portal that's really the variable in this that makes it a little bit tougher on junior college players. As the portal started to wind down, Connor got his chance."

A late entry into the NCAA Transfer Portal from the Butler lineup created an opportunity.

Brust, a Ball State baseball alum, coached Butler skipper Blake Beemer (also a former member of the Ball State program) when the latter played with the Webster Yankees of the New York Collegiate Baseball League. The two have stayed in touch, and when Brust saw the opening on the roster, he reached out.

"He's always told me that transfers are tough to get into Butler," Brust said. "I thought if this kid can't get in, then who can."

Sackett's GPA, especially in his major, made it easy for Beemer to get him through the admissions process at Butler.

"Your work with the books is going to open more doors than your play," Brust said. "Hopefully, they can open them together."

Sackett is currently playing with the Watertown Rapids of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.

"I'm very, very thankful for Coach Brust," Sackett said "He has a lot of connections. His opinions and what he says are highly respected in the baseball community. A coach knows if he is calling about a guy, he's legit. There's no worry whether that player is solid or not. I'm very grateful that coach has those connections."

Sackett always had his grades in order. He needed to find himself at the plate. His first year with the Tribunes, he collected 18 hits and finished at a .273 clip with two doubles.

"Obviously, it wasn't like I was going from high school to the SEC, but that was almost what it seemed like. All those guys were so much bigger, faster, stronger, so the game just felt really fast. For me, it was figuring out that mental piece and slowing the game down."

In 2024, Sackett had 12 multi-hit games.

"A lot of people say you have to be confident," Sackett said thinking back to 2023. "When you're struggling, it's hard to be confident.

"Obviously, there was some stuff that Coach Brust and I talked through and I had to clean up a little bit mechanically. By the time this season came, I was so prepared. I felt like there was nothing more I could have done to get myself more ready for that season. I knew that I put in the work."

Sackett is one of five Tribunes who will be moving on to four-year schools.

Lucas Connors (Brampton, ON/Heart Lake) came to MCC as a left-hand hitting catcher. The 6-foot-2 right-hander committed to pitch with the LeMoyne Dolphins of the Northeast Conference.

"He has a great arm," Brust said. "The mechanics of pitching are way more complicated than what it looks like. Toward the end of season this year, he started to emerge. He had two or three games where he was pitching 90 at the bottom of the shins with sink. He had such a rough start that his numbers were bad."

Connors made 14 appearances all out of the bullpen in 2024 and threw 23.1 innings - none more important than 1.2 scoreless frames against Onondaga Community College. That was part of a stretch that saw him allow one run over four outings and six innings. He made an impression on OCC head coach Bob Piraino - a longtime assistant at LeMoyne.

"Bob called me later to say he thought Lucas could help LeMoyne," Brust said.

A couple phone calls later Connors was committed to the Syracuse school.

"Again, he was available because of his grades. His grades are fabulous.

"Lucas Connors is one of the best teammates I've ever seen. Flat out, one of the best. When he struggled in an outing, he would be the best teammate. That's tough to find these days. It's always a test for a young player. When they're struggling, will he continue to do the right things? Or will he roll over and give into the struggles. Not him."

Zach Allen (Greece, N.Y./ McQuaid Jesuit) and Joe Wintermute (Irondequoit/Irondequoit High) will both continue their academic and athletic careers at Salem University, a Division II school in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA).

Lucas Brown (Toronto, ON/Humberside Collegiate) will play at Indiana University/South Bend of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.