This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Ogden • The 2011 high school baseball all-star exhibitions Saturday at Lindquist Field weren't the best-attended games of the season — they didn't even feature the best baseball of the season.
But for Utah's top senior players, being an all-star represents distinction, pride and a time to reflect on what might be down the road.
"It definitely means a lot — I didn't expect to be here," said Jordy Hart, a Westlake star who will continue his baseball career at Utah Valley University. "I know a lot of these guys, and it's cool because when I was a freshman, I never expected how a lot of things turned out for everybody."
By definition, the all-star games have no impact. That doesn't make them meaningless: Several college coaches and scouts assemble to give the seniors one last lookover.
So when Canyon View's Zane Applech won the 3A game MVP award for some clutch plays including a base-hit bunt, it wasn't an empty honor to him. The infielder, who hopes to walk on at BYU, saw it as a sign that he might have some stuff for the next level.
"I took this game very seriously, and I definitely want to play my best against the best guys in the state," Applech said. "It lets whoever's watching know I have a knack for the game and I work hard."
It's also a showcase for players like Tanner Kemp to show he belongs in the elite group of graduating seniors. Kemp toiled away mostly in futility for Hillcrest in the past season, and the Huskies didn't make the postseason out of a brutal Region 4. But in the 5A game, he pitched three no-hit innings and knocked a two-run homer over the tall left-field wall.
"It's a great way to go out," Kemp said. "I loved playing high school baseball, and it was nice to go out there and play with all the guys."
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