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Murray Journal

Cottonwood baseball still adjusting to the long road trips in this new region

Apr 30, 2022 12:03PM ● By Brian Shaw

By Brian Shaw | [email protected]

Like all of the other Cottonwood High School teams, the Colts baseball team is still getting used to the travel they have to do week in and week out in the new Region 7, four games into league play.

At 9-6 overall [2-2 Region 7] the Colts are beginning to show signs of putting it all together. In the preseason the focus appeared to be on manufacturing runs to win games; now the Colts bats are beginning to get that usual snap, crackle and pop people are accustomed to hearing.

Sophomore Keaton Stinson has come out of nowhere to step up for the Colts and has been on a tear of late. Since region play has started the 5-foot-11 Stinson is hitting towering home runs including a tape measure solo slam at Cedar Valley in a 16-6 win April 7. He then smashed another solo dinger at Uintah after a three-hour bus ride on April 14.

By all accounts, the sophomore Stinson appears to enjoy going on long road trips. He’s also pretty good on the mound, having picked up two victories for Cottonwood as well. 

His Colts teammates are also picking up the slack and are getting good run production from senior Parker Burk, who leads the team in RBI with 16.

Juniors Cameron Nielson [15 RBI] and Jaxon Pfeil [13 RBI] are also contributing their part for Cottonwood [9-6], who still has nine games remaining.

The sophomore Stinson may be young but he has also become the team’s top slugger, having belted three homers for Cottonwood. He also leads the team with five doubles.

Sophomore Hayden Hudman has a sparkling 3-0 record on the mound for the Colts, who have shown two-thirds of the way into the season that they have depth and balance across the lineup.

Cottonwood has also trotted out eight players to pitch in games this season, of which five have had two or more completed games.

The Colts, who despite the five losses were still ranked No. 5 in the first RPI rankings released on April 1 that seed teams for the upcoming 5A state tournament in May, finish out the regular season with two-game home-and-away series with new Region 7 foes Tooele, Stansbury and Payson in that order.

Cottonwood will then wrap up 2022 with a two-game home-and-away series with familiar foe and crosstown rival Hillcrest, sandwiched by a non-league home game