Jens' state and final high school baseball games

I was in charge of decorations and gifts for the boys for Senior Night.  I made baseballs and had Sidney write each of the seniors names on them.  Then the cheerleaders made the big SENIOR NIGHT poster that hung with all their names and numbers on the other side of the building.

Then as part of the gift, I edited each boy a picture of himself.  They turned out really great.  They were framed and given along with a ball that I had their nicknames engraved on and a baseball or a baseball mit charm to add to their dog tags.

We have so enjoyed watching Jens and his friends play all of these years.  The other Diamond Dawg/SHHS baseball team boys have truly become the dearest of friends that we will cherish forever.

Jens and his buddy Nick Brumfield

Jens with his cousins Jane Nelson and Lauren Gustin who were always there watching and supporting.

Their state playoff games were held at UVU.  I was so excited to watch this team get a state championship ring.  I just knew they could do it!  They had all the talent and the desire in the world.  These boys knew each other and each others abilities like the backs of their own hands.  But in the end it didn't happen for them.  

My favorite game by far and one that will forever be in my memory is the game we played against Maple Mountain.  This game is what made it okay for me to not take the championship.  This game for me, WAS the championship!  It was amazing!

First inning came and went like any other inning.  The second inning came in like a hurricane!  In fact, to quote MMHS parents, they called it the Twilight Zone!  We absolutely got on a high and scored BIG TIME!  We hit a triple, a homerun, a double, a GRAND SLAM, and it just went on and on!  By the bottom of the second inning, the score was 17 - 2.  We had a ton a hits and no errors.  It was an absolute high to watch!  Watching that game gave me chills and such a sense of joy that I didn't even care if we won the state title or not.  Because to me, we just had! 

MMHS was now out of the tournament.  Since we still had friends on the team, our boys waited after to hug all the MMHS boys and congratulate them on their year.  It was a classy move by our boys, but really we were just returning the same show of respect that they had given us the year prior.

In the end, we lost out to Timpanogus.  They were NOT classy and they were arrogant.  But we had fought hard and had played like champions.  The boys all hugged and cried.  It was a really emotional night.  But one that I'll always love.