Jacob VanVacter
Assistant Baseball Coach
3rd 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 two seasons with the program, VanVacter has helped coach 28 Kansas Jayhawk Conference performers, including two MVP and one Pitcher of the Year, 11 Al-Region 6 selections, three NJCAA and ABCA All-Americans, two Region 6 Rawlings Gold Glove Award® winners. JCCC also produced nine College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® selections, and 40 players have earned NJCAA All-Academic recognition. He also has helped place 43 players in four-year programs, including 28 at the NCAA D-I level and had one pitcher selected in the MLB Draft.

The 2025 season was another banner year for Horner and the Cavaliers. JCCC won both the KJCCC East Division and Region 6 titles for the third straight year and topped 50 wins for the third consecutive season, finishing 52-13 overall. The team was awarded the No. 4 seed at the NJCAA Division I World Series and ended the season ranked No. 4 nationally, placing sixth in the tournament.

JCCC had a program record 15 players selected as All-KJCCC East performers, including conference MVP Bo Shinkle. Right-hand pitcher Denton Biller was named NJCAA All-America and later was selected with 484^th overall pick by the Baltimore Orioles in the 16^th round of the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft Monday evening. Biller is the 42^nd player selected in the MLB Draft in program history and the ninth highest overall selection. Horner also had five players earn All-Region 6 and Shinkle and Carter Kelley were two of 10 players selected as Gold Glove winners.

Johnson County ranked second in the country in hits (714), third in total bases (1133), fourth in runs (626) and RBI (550), sixth in triples (28), seventh in extra base hits (23(), eighth in home runs (76) and batting average (.351) and 10^th in doubles (135). On the mound JCCC hurlers ranks third in ERA (3.94) sixth in batting average against (.236) and 15th in shutouts (8).

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.