Spanish Fork: No. 7 in Preseason Xcellent 25 Baseball Rankings

Under Jim "Shoe" Nelson's guidance, Spanish Fork High School went 29-3 last season and won its third-straight Utah state title. The Dons also won the prestigious Big Dugout Classic and finished with a Top 10 ranking in most national polls, including a No. 6 ranking by MaxPreps.

In the last seven years, Spanish Fork has won five state titles. So it's obvious that Nelson is synonymous with success. The American Baseball Coaches Association National Coach of the Year for a midsize school (between 1,599-800 enrollment) has earned his spot atop Utah's baseball scene.

His secret? Pitching. Lots of it. And then more pitching.

His top four pitchers from his 2011 state title team return for a run at a fourth-straight title. Add four others who would be the No. 1 or 2 on most of Utah's high school baseball teams, and the newest Mighty Don edition appears to be once again very mighty.



Nelson said his top three could go in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.

Kayden Porter (The MaxPreps Junior of the Year last season), Hayden Nielsen and Brady Corless have scouts drooling. Porter has signed with North Carolina, Nielson with BYU and Corless is the focus of several big-time schools.

Porter, 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, has been clocked at 97 mph. Despite it being the middle of the basketball season, radar guns caught him at 93-94 mph at the recently held Baseball Academy Showcase.

Porter was 9-1 and struck out 89 batters in 59 innings in 2011 as the Dons won their second-straight 4A title. Nielsen was 11-1 as a junior after going 7-0 as a sophomore. Nelson says Nielsen's control is pinpoint. He can rev it up to 88, but is all about location.

Corless was 5-0 as a sophomore after going unbeaten as a freshman. Nelson says he also throws in the 90s with good control, a good slider and a good change.

Somewhere in the top four is Andy Perkins. He throws in the upper 80s as well and has the best curveball on the team.



Then there's Jake Meservey, who uses his 6-4 frame to reach 85-86. Add sophomore Bennett Bradford (88 mph) and Ben Talbot (mid 80s).In 27 years as head coach, Nelson's teams have won 507 games and lost only 162. Ten of his former players have been drafted, including the Phillies' Tyson Brummett and the Nationals' Tyler Hanks. Seventy-five of his formers have competed at the collegiate level and 47 of them have received all-state honors.

He's also coached All-Americans Casey Nelson (BYU), Adam Duke (Oregon State), and Brock Duke (Utah).

Local look: "Spanish Fork has built a baseball tradition for two reasons - coaching and community support. How often can you say you have a head coach and assistant coach who have coached for more than 20 years at the same school? It's unheard of nowadays. Put great coaches with a community that supports and loves baseball and you get a Spanish Fork. A remarkable program, one of consistency and success.
- Neil Warner, Daily Herald

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School size: 3A

Enrollment: 1,847

2011 finish: 29-3 (Class 4A state champions)

Head coach: Jim "Shoe" Nelson



Career record: 507-162

Years at school: 27

Notable players coached:
Tyson Brummett (Phillies)
Tyler Hanks (Nationals)
Casey Nelson (BYU)
Adam Duke (Oregon State)
Brock Duke (Utah)

No. of starters returning: 5

Key returners:
SS/P Hayden Nielsen
P/1B Kayden Porter
OF Andy Perkins
OF/P Jake Meservey
P Brady Corless

Key newcomers:
P Bennett Bradford
P Ben Talbot



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Toughest game: Spanish Fork drops down to the 3A level this year, which means new opponents in a new region (Region 12). However, one team that joins Spanish Fork in Class 3A is Snow Canyon, one of only two Utah teams to defeat the Dons last year. Spanish Fork worked its way through the losers bracket and defeated Snow Canyon twice to win the state title last season.

Local outlook: On paper, another state title seems almost a given, especially now that the Dons have dropped from 4A to 3A, their second classification drop in three years. Nelson, however, says not so quick.

"Our pitching is very good, but we're dropping down a classification, again," said Nelson. "We're replacing six position players and we have three talented, but untested catchers. You never know until you get into it. I worry about complacency. I think we will be fine, but you never know."

But replacing players is nothing new for Nelson. His 2009 state title team graduated nine starting seniors. In 2010, the Dons won it again with Porter breaking onto the scene with 10 home runs.

"He (Porter) has just unreal power," said Nelson. "His home runs just weren't home runs, they were 500-foot blasts."

Porter is projected as a can't-miss draft choice as a pitcher, as well as a hitter. And Nelson says he's thinking about using his flamethrower as his closer.



Nelson says that might be what it takes to beat some of Utah's other top caliber baseball teams, namely Bingham, Cottonwood, Timpanogos and Syracuse.

"There's a lot of talented baseball teams in Utah," said Nelson. "We've got to bring it all together. If we do, I think we'll be fine."

Overall outlook: The key? Pitching.

But the Dons have more than just pitching. Despite losing six position players from last year's 29-3 team, three of the top hitters return in Porter, Nielsen and Perkins.

Nielsen was actually recruited by BYU as a shortstop. "He's the best defensive player I've coached," said Nelson. Nielsen has committed just five errors in 60 games. He batted .400 and was perfect on 16 steal attempts last season.

Though he throws 97, Porter's biggest asset might be his bat. He set a Spanish Fork High record with 15 home runs, batted .570 and drove in 50 runs. His single-season RBI total ties him for the second-most in state history. His slugging percentage was 1.209 and his on-base percentage was .632



Perkins, who has signed with Utah Valley State, batted .440, drove in 25 runs and collected 14 doubles.

Then Nelson reminds himself that "pitching can compensate for a lot of things."

How does he do it year-in and year-out? Perhaps it's his coaching theme: "You want to be a better player? Be a better person."

Nelson's advice to players and coaches: "When things are going bad work hard. When things are going good work harder."

And develop a little pitching along the way ... it goes a very long way.

Coach quote: "It starts with pitching. Pitching is the key to success. Throw somebody on the mound who can pitch and you've always got a chance to win."
- Jim "Shoe" Nelson