Pulling off the improbable: Spanish Fork overcomes tremendous odds in taking a state championship
-
- Spanish Fork players celebrate after winning the 5A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork players pose for a photo with the state title trophy after winning the 5A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork players celebrate by dumping ice on head coach Hadley Thorpe after winning the 5A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork players celebrate after winning the 5A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork players celebrate after winning the 5A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork freshman Jason Pintar just beats the throw and slides safely into home during the 6A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork senior Jackie Sorenson makes a leaping catch during the 6A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork sophomore Nixon Warren tries to make a sliding catch during the 6A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork junior Boston Duvall bunts the ball during the 6A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork players celebrate after winning the 5A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork junior Boston Duvall makes a catch during the 6A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork players celebrate after winning the 5A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork sophomore Pratt Morley throws the ball to first during the 6A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork players celebrate after winning the 5A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- A Spanish Fork batter hits the ball during the 6A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork freshman Cody McLean slides safely into home during the 6A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork players congratulate freshman Jason Pintar after he scored a run during the 6A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- A Spanish Fork batter hits the ball during the 6A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork fans and players watch the action during the 6A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- A Spanish Fork baserunner dives back to first base during the 6A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork sophomore Pratt Morley tries to turn a double play during the 6A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork players celebrate after winning the 5A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
-
- Spanish Fork players watch the action during the 6A championship series against Brighton at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
Spanish Fork baseball lists 33 players and coaches on its roster, and required contributions from each of them to pull of a seemingly impossible run to win a 5A state championship.
Oh, and a very essential duck, too.
As senior Jackie Sorenson celebrated the Don’s two wins over Brighton on Saturday, he did as much adorned with a duck around his neck, begging the obvious question regarding his unusual attire.
“During our last region game a couple of mallards would fly over our field every single time something good happened,” Sorenson explained. “So one of our coaches got us a lucky (stuffed toy) duck to bring with us to games, and I guess it worked.”
It just so happens that real ducks appeared on Saturday, serving what Sorenson and his teammates took as an obvious omen.
“There’s a pond right by the field here, so when we saw some ducks there, and then flying over the field, we knew it was our moment,” Sorenson said.
Duck superstitions aside, Spanish Fork seized its moment on Saturday, capping off one of the more improbable runs to a state championship ever seen in the Utah prep ranks. Seeded just No. 20 at the start of the 5A state championships, the Dons pulled upset after upset, including two wins over No. 1-seeded Maple Mountain and then two more over No. 2-seeded Brighton on Saturday to pull off the incredible.
“I can’t even put into words how good this feels,” said Spanish Fork Coach Hadley Thorpe. “I’m so proud of the boys, the coaches and it took all 33 of us. All year long it was us 33 against the world, so I can’t even put into words how this feels.”
Spanish Fork entered Saturday having to win two straight after dropping a 6-3 decision to the Bengals on Friday in the best-of-three championship series. Following the first game loss, the Dons were remarkably upbeat regarding their chances, all factors considered.
“You wouldn’t know that we had just taken a loss if you were with us on the bus ride back home,” Sorenson said. “We knew we could get it done. We’ve overcome things like this all year. There were just really good vibes when we woke up this morning. We knew this was possible.”
“We were probably a lot more confident than we were supposed to be,” Thorpe added. “But we knew that we had two good arms going for us today, so we were more confident than we should have been.”
Extra inning thriller
The first game on Saturday saw Spanish Fork’s bats come alive in the top of the eighth inning, scoring four runs to take a 7-3 lead that they held in the bottom half for the win that forced a second game.
Cody McLean hit a leadoff single which was followed by Jason Pintar drawing a walk. Both players scored courtesy of a throwing error to give the Dons a 5-3 lead. Trigg Cloward grounded out to Bring Boston Duvall home before Pratt Morley topped off the scoring with an RBI single to give Spanish Fork a commanding 7-3 lead.
The Dons used three sophomore pitchers for the Game 1 win, with Kayden Lambson, Nixon Warren and Morley all stepping up big in critical spots.
“We told the players to give it everything (they had) in the first game and we’d press reset in the second,” Thorpe said. “We told them to give us everything they had for seven innings, and it took us eight.”
Another seven in the second
Spanish Fork took a 7-4 win in the second game of the day courtesy of a gutty pitching performance from junior Matai Johnson and some timely hitting from Sorenson, Cloward and McLean, each of whom contributed two RBI.
After giving up three runs to the Bengals in the top half of the first inning, Spanish Fork responded by scoring four runs, including RBI singles from both Sorenson and McLean. Cloward then contributed his two RBI with a single in the fourth inning to push the lead to 6-3 before Pintar topped off the scoring with a sacrifice fly hit in the fifth.
Sorenson closed out the game from the mound, forcing three pop-outs to the first base in the top of the seventh to come away with the win and a 5A state championship.
“I haven’t pitched for the entire state tournament, so that felt awesome to close it out for our team,” Sorenson said. “It’s a moment I’ll never forget.”
Sorenson’s close out came about a month after Spanish Fork stumbled to a 2-11 start to the season. The Dons battled back to finish with a 9-16 record for the regular season and only achieved a winning record with Saturday’s final win of the season.
“What better way to put us over .500 than to win the state championship and to hoist that trophy,” Thorpe said.
Spanish Fork accomplished its improbable 9-1 record in the postseason by finally getting everyone healthy, peaking at the right time, but most of all believing in one another and always believing it could be done.
“We’re a young team that just happened to figure it out at the right moment,” Sorenson said. “I talked to the coaches every single day at the start of the season and I’ve been a part of two wrestling state championships. So as a senior and as someone who knows what it takes I just kept pushing our guys every single day whether they loved me for it or hated me.”
Sorenson, along with Nixon Warren asserted themselves as senior leaders throughout the season, leading a team chockfull of underclassmen to achieve a championship run that won’t soon be forgotten.
“He was our lone starter as a senior and he was sort of our lifeblood,” Thorpe said of Sorenson. “Between him and Nixon, they were our leaders all season long. They set the example, worked hard and did everything. Everything you’d want in a leader was done by those two guys.”
By taking a state championship after being seeded the 20th best team entering the tournament, the Dons are sure to inspire many an underdog in future Utah prep competitions.
“We just believed. We never doubted and that’s how we did it,” Sorenson said. “No one believed in us, but we knew we could get it done, and it took all of us believing. It just feels amazing to have actually done it.”
