Jacob VanVacter
Assistant Baseball Coach
2nd Season at JCCC
Valley City State University ‘17

Jacob VanVacter joined the Johnson County Community College baseball staff as an assistant coach for the 2023 season, and he brought extensive experience both coaching and playing the game of baseball. 

In his first season, Johnson County qualified for the NJCAA D-I World Series for a second straight year, and fourth time overall. The team ended the year ranked No. 1 in the final NJCAA Poll and were awarded the No. 1 seed in the World Series, a first in program history.  JCCC went to place sixth in World Series, their highest finish ever. They closed out the year with a record of 53-11, including a 28-4 mark in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference East Division to capture the program’s 12^th title. 

Thirteen Cavaliers were selected as All-KJCCC East Division performers, including conference MVP Dagen Brewer, Pitcher of the year Brandon Stone and Horner was selected Coach of the Year for a second straight year. Brewer and Stone were also named as first-team NJCAA and American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings All-American, marking the first time JCCC has produced two on the first-team. Additionally, Stone and Brewer along with Jack Mosh and Ryan Borberg were rated among the top 30 player players for pitchers and hitters in 2024, with Stone earning the No. 1 ranking for pitchers. Brewer was ranked ninth and Mosh 16th among hitters, and Borgerg was the No. 23 ranked pitcher. Borgerg was also selected to play for the NJCAA/USA All-Star Team. JCCC also had 23 student-athletes earn NJCAA All-Academic distinction and five selected Academic All-District by College Sports Communicators.

Johnson County led the conference in batting average (.355), doubles (142), extra base hits (238), total bases (1099), slugging percentage (.561), strikeouts by pitchers (583) and K/9 (10.67). They were second in hits (696), triples (27), RBI (539) and runs (612), and third in home runs (69). Nationally they ranked third in strikeouts, fifth in hits, tied for fifth in triples, sixth in average and  runs, seventh in doubles, total bases and RBI.

VanVacter most recently was coaching youth baseball in Kansas the past two years for the Cav Baseball Club.

VanVacer’s last college coaching stint was  at Bismarck State College in 2020 before COVID-19 ended the season.

In 2019 VanVacter helped lead the Bancroft Bandits to a championship season in the Pioneer Collegiate Baseball League. VanVacter headed a pitching staff that broke PCBL records of (2.49) ERA and (488) strikeouts. Seven pitchers from that team signed professional baseball contracts.Jac

Previously, VanVacter coached at Valley City State University in 2017-2018 where he helped the Vikings to a North Star Athletic Association runner-up finish and coached three 1st Team All-Conference pitchers, including the Newcomer of the Year. He also helped the Vikings break the school record for strikeouts (350).

VanVacter also worked as the pitching coach for Northland Community and Technical College during the 2017-18 season. He helped the team to a second-place finish in the 15-team Minnesota College Athletic Conference.

As an athlete, VanVacter started his collegiate career at Maple Woods Community College in two years he threw 70 innings with 49 strikeouts helping the Monarchs to a 2nd and 3rd place conference tournament finishes. During his sophomore campaign, he hurled a five-inning no-hitter against MCC-Longview, with three strikeouts and two walks.

From here VanVacter transferred to Park University where he threw 64 innings for the Pirates compiling four wins and winning two Heart of America Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week awards.

For VanVacter's final collegiate season he played for the Valley City State Vikings. He pitched for the Vikings during the 2016-17 season, helping VCSU to a 27-26 overall record and a third-place finish in the NSAA standings. He compiled a 3.74 ERA over 74 innings on the mound with 68 strikeouts and a mark of 5-4. VanVacter obtained his bachelor’s degree in communications from Valley City State University.

VanVacter played two seasons for the St. Joseph Mustangs in the MINK Summer League In his final season for the Mustangs he helped lead the team to a Mink Championship while breaking the single season strikeout record.