'It's really humbling': Eppinger Hall of Fame bound while Caouette, Verra also receive awards
Nearly five months after stepping down as coach of the St. John’s baseball team, Charlie Eppinger is being recognized for his accomplishments on the diamond.
On Jan. 27, Eppinger will join Kirk Fredericks (Lincoln-Sudbury/Wellesley), John O’Brien (Lynnfield) and Steve Wilson (Harwich/Monomoy) as the latest inductees into the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in a ceremony held at Four Points by Sheraton in Wakefield.
“It’s really humbling,” Eppinger said over the phone Monday. “It is an honor, and it makes you feel like the work you put in is something that other people respected, and that’s important. It’s a reflection of what the St. John’s community and kids and families that came through the program were able to be accomplish.
“To be recognized is gratifying.”
Across 17 seasons with St. John’s, Eppinger compiled a 289-121 record to go along with two Central Mass. titles (2009, 2011) and a Super 8 championship in 2017.
Eppinger wrapped up his final campaign with the Pioneers this past spring with a Division 1 Final Four appearance. He announced his retirement in August and will be honored later this month for his standout coaching career at St. John’s.
“I’m really proud of what the team accomplished over the 17 seasons,” Eppinger said. “I’m really proud of what St. John’s churns out year to year, and I’m really proud of the baseball players that have graduated from St. John’s and the men they’ve turned out to be.”
Tim Caouette and Keith Verra also will be recognized at the 56th Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame induction and awards ceremony. The two baseball coaches from Central Mass. — Caouette with Oakmont Regional and Verra with Northbridge High — were selected as winners of the inaugural MBCA Frank Carey Varsity Coach of the Year award.
The reward is given to a coach who personifies the enthusiasm that Carey, a longtime North Reading baseball coach, possessed for coaching while promoting the game of baseball within their community.
“I’m just so tremendously honored to be mentioned in the same category as coach (Frank) Carey or Keith (Verra) and Charlie (Eppinger) and the others,” Caouette said. “To share the night with those guys who put together a career that I could only ever sniff half of is just a tremendous honor.”
Caouette’s squad collected their first state championship in program history this past spring with a 5-3, 12-inning win over Medfield in the Division 3 state title game held at Polar Park. The Spartans finished 23-3.
“It seems like the 2023 season, since that unforgettable and life-changing night in June, it never ends, and it’s such a good thing,” Caouette said. “We’re going to be connected by this forever.”
Northbridge, on the other hand, was one win shy of securing a spot in the Division 4 state championship at Polar Park following a 5-1, 14-inning loss to Abington in the state semifinals.
The Rams wrapped up their 2023 campaign at 14-10.
“I’m honored to be a recipient connected to Frank Carey,” Verra said. “But I’m really thrilled to be going in with Tim (Caouette). ... When you get an individual reward, it’s really a reflection on the whole program.”
Individuals may purchase tickets to the Hall of Fame banquet on the MBCA website.
—Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Former St. John's coach Charlie Eppinger set to join MBCA Hall of Fame
