‘The star was the team!’ Spanish Fork High School baseball team goes on unbelievable playoff run to win 5A State Championship

Winning a State Championship game is always a dream for high school athletes, but it isn’t always on the horizon. For the 20th seed Spanish Fork High School baseball team, their season record was not telling a championship story. With a 9-16 regular season record, the future was not looking bright heading into the playoffs.

But, the past does not always project the future, and the team went on a postseason run, beating several top-seated teams, including defending State Champion Maple Mountain. And on May 24 at Utah Valley University, the Spanish Fork Dons threw stats out the window, having what many are describing as an unbelievable game, taking the 5A State Championship title with a 7-4 win over Brighton. 

SFHS athletic director Jesse Roberts spoke to Serve Daily about the game, noting how proud he, the school and community are of the athletes and coaches.

“We are so proud of our baseball team and coaches,” Roberts said. “The consistent approach that Coach Thorpe and his assistants maintained throughout the season was a big part of the success they found during the State playoffs. Our team had a lot of young players that used the experiences faced early in the season to gain confidence instead of becoming discouraged. That confidence was a highlight of the State Tournament. There are too many individual performances to name and I believe that was a key to the team’s success. The star of the playoff run was THE TEAM! 

“There were clutch performances from so many different players at different times that made the State Championship happen. The energy from the dugout and the support of the huge crowd wearing SF Red were a big part of the championship run as well. This amazing community and culture made it a great day to be a Don!”