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It's fitting that Sam Myers' best game of the season came against Manti.

Beaver's ace went to the mound and started mowing down Templars with the season on the line in the losers bracket of the state tournament. His overpowering fastball combined with a swooping curve struck out 15 hitters to earn the Beavers the 5-0 victory. Tack on a pair of doubles that drove in three runs, and there is little doubt why Myers was named The Tribune's Class 2A MVP.

The humble kid from Beaver who studies Mike Trout and David Ortiz finished his senior year with a 11-1 record, 1.20 ERA and 129 strikeouts on the mound. He also was a threat at the plate. He finished with a .667 batting average while smashing two home runs and 13 doubles.

Myers, who is quick to credit his teammates for his success, was the workhorse for a team that went 20-2 and won Region 13 with a 12-0 record.

"We had a pretty amazing season even though we lost to the state champs," Myers said. "My teammates were behind me the entire time, and I definitely share everything with them."

Myers talks about community a lot. He values growing up in Beaver, and he was proud to represent his town both on and off the field. Having the stands packed to support the Beavers was something he'll hold dear while serving his LDS mission in Tacoma, Wash., next year.

"The whole town supported us this entire season, and we wanted to win for them," Myers said. "They didn't just come out for the games. They came out for us."

Myers believes that baseball gave him the courage to fight through hardship and face challenges head on, something coach Curt Heslington stressed. It was more than the ability to go through the lineup and adjust his pitching.

"There will be moments in games that there is going to be adversity, and we'd have to be strong to overcome it," Myers said. "You got to be strong and don't let it break you down."