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Taylorsville Journal

Taylorsville baseball falls in second round of playoffs

May 24, 2021 03:22PM ● By Greg James

Devin Beckstead finished the season with a 6-1 record and a 4.06 earned run average. (Greg James/City Journals)

By Greg James | [email protected] 

Taylorsville High School’s boys baseball team seized second place in Region 2 in their first season under its new head coach.

“This program has always been amazing,” said Warriors head coach Jentry Beckstead as he took the job last summer. 

The Warriors finished the regular season with a 12-3 region record. Two of those losses were to region champion, West Jordan, and one at the hands of Cyprus. 

The regular season earned them a No. 12 seed in the Utah High School Activities Association’s state playoffs. 

The state tournament is being held with a new formula similar to that used by the NCAA. The first round teams play a best of three series to earn the right to advance to the second round. Eight teams automatically earned byes into that round. 

Taylorsville played host to Herriman in the first round series. They swept them in two straight to advance to the second round against Riverton.

Taylorsville won game one against the Mustangs 5-4 building a 5-1 lead before Herriman battled back in the sixth inning. 

Senior Devin Beckstead pitched 5 ⅔ innings allowing only five hits while striking out six. Junior Justin Morgan finished the final inning and a third to help secure the victory.

Morgan had two runs batted in as did Senior Andrew Cardenas. 

In game two against the Mustangs the Warriors jumped out to a three run lead before allowing Herriman back into the game. Herriman found themselves comfortably back in the game after scoring two runs in the top of the sixth, but Taylorsville scored six runs to increase their lead and cement a 9-6 victory.

Morgan allowed 12 hits and struck out six for the victory. Seniors Tanner Smith and Jakob Harrison both tripled to lead the Warriors offense.

Morgan finished the season with 58 strikeouts, Beckstead had 59. Brody Muhlestien had a .452 batting average and two home runs, Smith hit .417 and Andrew Cardenas .415. Aiden Nebeker led the teams with 16 stolen bases.

Editor's Note: In the second round, the Warriors fell to Riverton in back-to-back matches by scores of 5-1 and 10-1. 






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