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Springville's Hugh Redd delivers a pitch in a prep baseball game against Payson on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Springville player greet Nalivou "Junior" Lauaki after he scored a run against Payson in a prep baseball game on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Springville catcher Mason DeLlamas, left, tags out Payson's Maddux DeGraffenried at home plate during a prep baseball game on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Springville's Naulivou “Junior” Lauaki throws to first base during a prep baseball game against Payson on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Springville's RJ Briggs (17) throws to Ashtyn Tate at first base during a prep baseball game against Payson on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Springville's Easton Barrett makes contact during a prep baseball game against Payson on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Springville catcher Mason DeLlamas looks into the dugout for a pitch call during a prep baseball game against Payson on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Payson's Kade Edwards (5) throws to first base during a prep baseball game against Springville on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Payson's Maddux DeGraffenried, right, greets his first base coach after hitting a single during a prep baseball game against Springville on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Springville's Eli Liddiard sprints down the first base line during a prep baseball game against Payson on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

❮ ❯

When Springville baseball coach Ryan Briggs arrives for practice he often finds baseballs lying all over the field, appearing as if by magic overnight.

It’s not post-St. Patrick’s Day leprechauns, but rather helpful construction workers who are building the new Springville High School nearby.

Normally, sophomore and JV players hustle after foul balls but many of them land in construction areas that are off limits and could conceivably contribute to the foundation of the new school, which opens in the fall of 2026.

“Luckily, the school district has given me a little extra money for baseballs,” Briggs said. “The kids don’t really go over there (beyond the fence). I’m a baseball fanatic so losing baseballs, that hurts my feelings. But the good thing is they (the construction workers) actually throw them back.”

Briggs, now in his second year heading the Springville program, knows a bit about building. Last year, the Red Devils posted a 10-16 record, 4-11 in 5A Region 9. This season Springville is 7-2 and currently riding a six-game winning streak.

“I just love how we’re having fun now,” senior Naulivou “Junior” Lauaki said. “Everybody is smiling, nobody’s down. It’s just another day of ball and it feels cool to play ball with each other.”

The Red Devils did benefit from a bit of post-St. Patrick’s Day luck on Tuesday in their 6-4 victory against Payson. Down 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Springville loaded the bases with two outs. A deep fly ball from R.J. Briggs kept carrying and turned in a three-run error, giving the Red Devils a 6-4 lead. Payson got the tying run on base with one out in the top of the seventh on back-to-back singles from Porter Beckstead and Maddux DeGraffenried. But Springville reliever Ashtyn Tate induced a pop-up from Ty Marvin for the second out and struck out Kade Edwards to end the game.

Briggs returned Lauaki and Easton Barrett from last year’s team and the two seniors are again putting up great numbers. Lauaki is headed to play at the University of Oregon and Barrett to Arizona State.

“Last year we wanted to be ranked high and this year I’m like, ‘put us wherever you want,'” Coach Briggs said. “We’re going to win games because those two guys can carry us, but now we’ve got guys behind Junior and Easton and I think that’s going to make our team. I think people are going to start talking about those two guys, but if they don’t, that’s fine. Don’t notice, don’t notice.”

The past two weekends the Red Devils have traveled to southern Utah for tournaments, a valuable experience for not only the players but for Briggs and his coaching staff.

“I 100% learned more than they did, like who’s ready, who’s not and who can handle it,” Coach Briggs said. “We have a special group of seniors that can handle things, so now it’s just about the Jimmys and the Joes that need to find their way. We’ve got some dudes but we had some games down there where we could find out who’s ready to help us.”

In truth, it was the bottom of the Springville lineup (No. 7 hitter Kaden Tingey, No. 8 hitter Braxton Hughes and No. 9 hitter Eli Liddiard) that got on base with two outs to set up the g0-ahead runs. Tingey walked, Hughes singled up the middle and Liddiard was hit by a pitch in the critical sixth inning.

After a busy last two weeks, Briggs told the players in the post-game meeting that they would have Wednesday off, suggesting it was time to catch up on homework.

“We’re going to wake up, go hit, then just chill,” Lauaki said.

Barrett added, “Maybe we’ll go to the golf course.”

The Red Devils open 5A Region 7 play on April 8 against Cedar Valley.

“Top to bottom, I feel like we can all put up great numbers,” Barrett said. “I mean, we could flip the lineup and it’d be just the same outcome. So it’s really fun to see that and see everyone ball out.”

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