Joey Raccuia, a freshman baseball participant at Radford College and the son of former Radford head baseball coach Joe Raccuia, has died following a single-vehicle wreck in Radford, Virginia. He was 19 years previous.
The accident occurred at round 11:20 a.m. on Wednesday, February 26, on East Most important Avenue, not removed from the college’s baseball stadium, based on The Roanoke Instances. First responders supplied medical help on the scene, however Joey was pronounced useless on the scene.
The wreck stays beneath investigation, and police are asking anybody with data to name Capt. J.L. Slaughter at 540-267-3711.
The Radford Baseball Staff Shares Emotional Tribute
The Radford Highlanders baseball workforce confirmed Joey’s dying in an Instagram put up on February 26, with a message that left little doubt concerning the younger participant’s affect on this system.
“We’re heartbroken to share information of the passing of Joey Raccuia. Joey’s affect on our workforce, this neighborhood and all of the lives he touched went far past the enjoying subject, and we miss him deeply,” the workforce wrote.
The college adopted with its personal assertion to the broader Radford neighborhood, per WDBJ.
“Expensive Highlander Household, It’s with deep disappointment that I share information of the dying of Joey Raccuia, a first-year pupil at Radford. We’re heartbroken by his passing yesterday and prolong our condolences to his household and mates throughout this tough time,” the college wrote.
Joey Raccuia got here to Radford from PDG Academy and was in his first yr with the Highlanders. By means of the early weeks of the season, he had performed in two of the workforce’s seven video games, each as a second baseman.
He was additionally listed as a pitcher, based on his bio on the workforce’s official web site, suggesting he had the flexibility to contribute in a number of roles as his school profession developed.
Radford is 5-2 this season and is about to host Bryant in a three-game sequence this weekend. Gamers are carrying a patch on their hats and helmets that reads “JR 30,” in reference to his quantity.
His Father Constructed Radford Baseball Right into a Powerhouse
Joey’s ties to the college ran far deeper than most freshmen on a school roster.
His father, Joe Raccuia, was a Radford graduate and former workforce captain in 1995, a season that noticed the workforce win a faculty file 30 wins, per Radford College.
Joe returned to his alma mater in 1996 as an assistant coach, and in 2007, he was named the workforce’s fifth head coach.
Over 12 seasons between 2008 and 2019, Joe Raccuia reworked the Highlanders into one of many Massive South Convention’s best packages. He led the workforce to 2 Massive South Match Championships and NCAA Match berths in 2015 and 2017.
The 2015 season was particularly exceptional: Joe Raccuia led the Highlanders to a file 45 wins. The workforce received their first Massive South common season and event championships that yr and superior to the NCAA regional spherical for the primary time in program historical past.
Two years later, the workforce captured one other Massive South championship and a second NCAA Match berth.
Joe Raccuia additionally produced 13 MLB Draft Picks throughout his tenure, together with the Massive South’s solely first-rounder in Eddie Butler in 2012.
The elder Raccuia now works for the Kansas Metropolis Royals in scouting and participant growth.
