Taylorsville High School Warriors, ’98 State Champs Blue 59Fifty with Gold UV

This Taylorsville High School throwback commemorates the 1998 5A Utah State Baseball Champions. That season the team was dominant, but miscues and mental mistakes led to a shocking loss in the first round of the playoffs, knocking them down to the losers’ bracket and making their run to the championship game more dramatic and impressive. To win the title, the Warriors would need to defeat a formidable opponent—twice. In the first game Taylorsville flexed their muscle and won easily. But the second game of that forced doubleheader was a different story. Down to their final three outs, the Warriors trailed by three runs. The opposing pitcher had  held them at bay with his impressive splitter the entire game and took the mound again to finish them off. The lead-off hitter had a great at-bat that ended with his speed and hustle forcing an error by the shortstop. The next batter fought hard and dropped ball into center field for a single. Another bloop to right-center scored a man and brought the winning run to the plate, the starting catcher and one of the best hitters in the state. On an 0-1 count, he blasted a ball off the left field wall, knocking in two runs and tying the game with a double. The next man drove a ball through the left side of the infield. With the winning run just 90 feet away, the opposing team intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases. Next up was a pinch hitter—the backup catcher. The infielders and outfielders were playing in. The second pitch was driven deep to left field as the Taylorsville Warriors walked it off, capping an incredible season with an incredible comeback to win the state championship.