Rivals go at it: Prep baseball playoffs feature Utah Valley’s best
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- Pleasant Grove’s Nash Clement slides safely into third base after hitting a triple against Maple Mountain in a 5A baseball state playoff game at UCCU Ballpark on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
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- American Fork’s Gavin Robinson celebrates after hitting a double against Lehiin a 6A baseball state playoff game at Miller Park on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
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- Pleasant Grove’s Mason Henry throws a pitch against Maple Mountain in a 5A baseball state playoff game at UCCU Ballpark on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
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- Maple Mountain’s Kye Ward celebrates hitting a triple against Pleasant Grove in a 5A baseball state playoff game at UCCU Ballpark on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
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- American Fork’s Cruz Adams throws a pitch against Lehiin a 6A baseball state playoff game at Miller Park on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
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- Maple Mountain’s Hayden Hyatt rounds third against Pleasant Grove in a 5A baseball state playoff game at UCCU Ballpark on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
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- American Fork players huddle with head coach Jarod Ingersoll during a time out against Lehi in a 6A baseball state playoff game at Miller Park on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
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- Lehi’s Case Kelley throws a pitch against American Forkin a 6A baseball state playoff game at Miller Park on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
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- Pleasant Grove’s Nash Clement takes a swing against Maple Mountain in a 5A baseball state playoff game at UCCU Ballpark on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
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- Pleasant Grove shortstop Tobin Degelbeck throws to first base in a 5A baseball state playoff game at UCCU Ballpark on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
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- American Fork’s Gavin Robinson (right) watches as head coach Jarod Ingersoll gives signs against Lehiin a 6A baseball state playoff game at Miller Park on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
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- Players in the Maple Mountain dugout celebrate scoring a run against Pleasant Grove in a 5A baseball state playoff game at UCCU Ballpark on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
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- Maple Mountain’s Jeremiah Hall throws a pitch against Pleasant Grove in a 5A baseball state playoff game at UCCU Ballpark on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
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- Maple Mountain third baseman Hayden Hyatt throws to first base in a 5A baseball state playoff game at UCCU Ballpark on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
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- Pleasant Grove’s Mason Henry throws a pitch in a 5A baseball state playoff game at UCCU Ballpark on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
Utah Valley baseball doesn’t get much better than a Pleasant Grove-Maple Mountain 5A playoff game AND an American Fork-Lehi clash in 6A on the same day.
All four of those communities represented well in taking in two very competitive games on Tuesday.
No. 3 Pleasant Grove bashed three home runs in the bottom of the sixth to subdue No. 2 Maple Mountain 11-6 at UVU’s UCCU Ballpark and No. 1 American Fork held off No. 5 Lehi 8-5 at BYU’s Miller Park, getting the final out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh.
Here’s how it went down.
Pleasant Grove 11, Maple Mountain 6
The Vikings seemed to be in control, cruising to a 5-0 lead heading into the fifth inning. Kyle Ward’s RBI triple in the top of the fifth helped the Golden Eagles pull to within 5-2 but PG got those two back in the bottom of the inning (an RBI double from Davey Staffieri and a sac fly RBI from Ryder Huntsman) for a 7-2 advantage.
Maple Mountain (23-7) rallied, the big blow a three-run home run from Hayden Hyatt as part of a four-run sixth to close to 7-6. In the bottom of the inning, PG’s Tobin Degelbeck hit an absolute moon shot down the left field line that was ruled a solo home run, followed by another big fly from Karter Casperson to make the score 9-6. Two batters later, Staffieri smacked a two-run homer and the Vikings led 11-6.
Degelbeck took to the mound for the final three outs to preserve the win for PG.
“This is state tournament baseball right here,” Vikings head coach Darrin Henry said. “Teams are going to keep competing and so are we. I was proud of our guys for answering each time. All year we’ve just been focused on the next at-bat, the next pitch, the next game. I know it’s cliche, but we have to work that way because we know the state tournament is crazy. We’re going to keep battling and keep grinding, whatever we do.”
Staffieri and Nash Clement each knocked in three runs for the Vikings (21-7), who moved on without a loss in bracket play.
Stat of the day: Pleasant Grove pitchers Mason Henry, Keaton Nordick and Degelbeck didn’t allow a single hit to Maple Mountain’s 1 through 6 in the batting order.
American Fork 8, Lehi 5
The top-seeded Cavemen headed into the sixth inning with an 8-4 lead. But Lehi was resilient and loaded the bases with no outs, forcing a pitching change for AF in favor of senior Bode Gaggero, who had thrown only 11.2 innings all season. He walked Brody Bauer to force in one run but also recorded two strike outs and induced a liner to third to retire the side with the Cavemen still ahead 8-5.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Pioneers (17-11) turned two hit batsmen and a single from Murph Madsen into a two-out, bases loaded situation that brought the winning run to the plate. Ryder Shultz tagged the ball well but right at American Fork third baseman Jens Price to end the game.
“Bode is a good arm for us,” AF head coach Jarod Ingersoll said. “He did a great job of throwing strikes and keeping them off balance.”
Price knocked in three runs with a double and catcher Cash Poulsen added a pair of RBI for the Cavemen (21-8). Starting pitcher Cruz Adams went five innings, striking out five and allowing just four hits to log the win.
“It’s always going to be a battle between us and Lehi, and it has been for years,” Ingersoll said. “They’re well coached and they have great players. We established ourselves offensively early. We were aggressive and were making pretty good swings, keeping the ball in the air, and I was impressed with that. We bent a few times but we didn’t break and that’s because of our composure and toughness.”
6A Bracket Play
Skyridge 7, Corner Canyon 6
The No. 7 seed Falcons held off a late charge from No. 11 Corner Canyon to continue their run in the tournament.
Miles Robinson doubled and homered for Skyridge (18-12), driving in three runs. Rip Roberts went 6.2 innings, striking out five, and Luke Robley got the save in relief, earning the final out to preserve the win.
The Falcons upset No. 2 seed Mountain Ridge 11-9 on Monday.
Mountain Ridge 8, Lone Peak 0
The Knights couldn’t solve Sentinels pitcher Colby Claasen, who went five innings and allowed just four hits. Lone Peak lost to Corner Canyon 3-2 on Monday and the two losses eliminate the No. 3 seed from the tournament.
5A Bracket Play
West Field 11, Spanish Fork 10
The Longhorns stunned the top-seeded Dons with a seven-run seventh inning, erasing a 10-4 deficit. In the bottom of the seventh, Spanish Fork’s Nixon Warren smacked a one-out double and advanced to third on a ground out. Pratt Morley worked a full count but West Field’s Marshal Moon struck him out to end the game.
Skyline 10, Payson 6
Payson put up five runs in the second inning to forge a 5-5 tie but managed only one run the rest of the way. The loss to the No. 21 seed Eagles eliminated the Lions from the tournament.
