There’s little more Mullen’s Maverick Handley can do to build upon his impressive résumé.
Except, that is, lead his team to its first state championship in baseball since 1985. The senior catcher and his teammates begin their quest Saturday when the Mustangs host Prairie View in Class 5A’s District 2 tournament. The winner of the 12:30 p.m. game plays the winner of the 10 a.m. Monarch-Fountain-Fort Carson game at 3 p.m. to advance to the eight-team, double-elimination state tournament.
With a career .421 average and a collegiate career ahead of him at Stanford, Handley has a chance to put an exclamation point on his high school career.
But when asked what his greatest accomplishment is, he points to his classroom work.
“Learning is one of my hobbies. I enjoy going to school,” Handley said. “I enjoy succeeding in the classroom and basically doing the best I can do in everything I do. … I’m going into my final trimester and I have yet to get a B in high school. It’s a little personal pride.”
Handley’s fervor for learning bleeds onto the field. When he first arrived at Mullen as a freshman, varsity coach Vince Porreco noticed how much he studied the game. His knowledge helped him move into a starting spot on varsity.
Handley hasn’t stopped learning, though the 5-foot-10, 195-pounder has dominated. “Even though he has the abilities and the talent, he’s still learning the game and that’s a testament to a true baseball player,” Porreco said.
It hasn’t been easy. Handley missed his sophomore season after suffering a broken ankle while playing basketball for Mullen. He returned for the summer baseball season and committed to Stanford as a junior the following fall. It’s been all baseball for him ever since.
Far from a one-man team, the Mustangs received the No. 8 seed in the 32-team 5A field and are 14-5 overall. They finished 12-2 in the Centennial League during the regular season, including sweeping rival Cherry Creek for the first time in Porreco’s 10 years at the school. Pitcher Rocco Porreco, the coach’s nephew, led the Centennial League with 47 strikeouts. Mullen’s pitching staff has a 2.92 ERA.
Handley leads Mullen in hits (26), batting average (.441), triples (four), RBIs (30) and home runs (four).
Defensively, Handley’s knowledge of pitching and how to set up hitters has proven invaluable. Calling pitches is a decision usually reserved for the coaches at Mullen, but Vince Porreco trusts Handley.
Rocco Porreco said Handley’s lead-by-example attitude inspires teammates.
“He gives us confidence,” Rocco said. “He makes everybody around him work harder. He makes everybody around him a better player.”
Hugh Johnson: 303-954-1037, hjohnson@denverpost.com or @HughJohnsonDP
