Band of brothers: Timpanogos powers past Provo, 6-2
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- Timpanogos catcher Jace Hunter throws to first base against Provo in a Region 8 baseball game on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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- Timpanogos players celebrate scoring a run against Provo in a Region 8 baseball game on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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- Provo’s Will Gulbrandson throws a pitch against Timpanogos in a Region 8 baseball game on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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- Landon Trimmell of Timpanogos runs to first base against Provo in a Region 8 baseball game on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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- Canyon Clegg of Timpanogos throws a pitch against Provo in a Region 8 baseball game on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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- Landon Trimmell of Timpanogos (25) gets ready to lead off first base against Provo in a Region 8 baseball game on Tuesday, April 14, 2026
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- Cooper Hawkes of Timpanogos takes a swing against Provo in a Region 8 baseball game on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
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- Canyon Clegg of Timpanogos throws a pitch against Provo in a Region 8 baseball game on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
The back of the Timpanogos baseball uniform reads, “Brothers.”
What makes that work for the Timberwolves is that the big brothers take care of the little brothers.
At least, that’s how Timpanogos coach Kim Nelson sees it. And with more than 30 years as a high school baseball coach, Nelson should know.
“The ‘Brothers’ theme is a couple of years old,” said Nelson after his team took care of Provo 6-2 in a Region 8 matchup on Tuesday. “We did that on our 2023 championship team. It was just a theme that has carried over. It’s trying too get the older kids to understand what their role is in helping the younger kids, and that meshes with being brothers.”
Senior Cooper Hawkes is having a tremendous year for the T-Wolves, coming into Tuesday’s game with eye-popping stats: .579 batting average, 32 runs scored, 33 hits, 33 RBI, 12 doubles, eight triples, four home runs and seven stolen bases. He leads the state in doubles and triples and is third in RBI.
“To me, ‘Brothers’ means that we’re all a team,” he said. “Baseball isn’t really an individual sport and when we’ve got each others backs, we play better as a team.”
Nelson said Hawkes, a shortstop who played with the USA Prime National program this summer and has committed to USU-Eastern, also leads by example.
“I think I’ve seem my share of players go through the program,” Nelson said. “I don’t know anybody that works harder at everything. He hurt his arm this fall and can’t pitch this year, but he’d be one of our best pitchers. He just works and works and works. Playing with the travel team has really paid off.
“Plus, he’s grown six inches in about a year and a half. Now he has power. He’s good when he’s staying with it and hitting the other way. That’s the difference this season. His numbers are off the chart. I don’t know how that could be sustained for 30 games, but he’s having an unbelievable year.”
Another senior stalwart is pitcher Canyon Clegg, who was in total control on the mound against Provo on Tuesday. Clegg (4-1, 1.83 ERA) struck out six and didn’t walk a single batter, keeping the Bulldogs off the board until he tired in the seventh inning.
“Canyon was in charge the whole game,” Nelson said. “He’s been that way for us the past two years and some of his sophomore year, too. We’ve counted on him a lot and a very large percentage of the time we get really good performance just like this one.”
Clegg was in a good pitcher’s battle with Provo’s Will Gulbrandson, but Timpanogos was able to move its runners more consistently. In the top of the first inning, Corbin Hardy’s long fly ball to left got caught up in the swirling wind and landed fair, turning into an RBI triple for a 1-0 lead. The T-Wolves grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second when Crew Peterson took advantage of a Provo error to score from first base on a single by Jace Spencer. The score stayed that way until the sixth, when Spencer’s RBI single scored Eli Story from second.
Timpanogos scored three runs in the top of the seventh, including Peterson’s two-run single, for a 6-0 lead.
Provo managed a couple of runs in the bottom of the seventh before Hunter, who caught the first 6 1/3 innings, came on in relief and eventually got a fly ball for the final out.
Nelson said the win was a good response to a surprising 7-3 loss to Uintah last week that ended a 13-game winning streak.
“That was just a weird game,” Nelson said. “It didn’t go the way we wanted, obviously, but Uintah made every play and we missed a grand slam by just inches. Baseball has a way of humbling you. Then to rebound against a good team and facing a good pitcher, I was really impressed with the way we started this game, hitting wise, attacking and going after it.”
Timpanogos (18-2 overall, 9-1 Region 8) is No. 2 in the latest 4A RPI and Provo (14-6, 7-2) is No. 5. The two teams meet again on Wednesday in Orem and Game 3 will be Friday back in Provo.
