Broncos baseball play in state championship game for first time in 16 years, earn second-place finish

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The San Juan High School baseball team traveled to Provo this past weekend looking to earn a trip to the 2A Utah State semifinals for the first time since they last won a state championship in 2010. They did much more than that.
On Thursday, May 7 on the Brigham Young University baseball field the #4 Broncos upset top-ranked Beaver 13-8 in the quarterfinals. It was a back-and-forth battle through four innings.
Trailing the Beavers 7-6 as they came to bat in the top of the fifth San Juan plated three baserunners to take a 9-7 lead that they would never relinquish in the impressive win.
Jagger Nieves and Kreed Herring drove in three Bronco runs apiece, Herring was 3-for-3, and Nache Young added two hits and an RBI. Herring also struck out seven Beaver batters in his 4.2 innings of work on the mound.
San Juan suffered a tough 12-3 loss to #2 Kanab in the semifinals on Friday, May 8. Herring and Remy Whatcott were both 2-for-4 in the game. Young and Grady Lacy drove in one run each.
The Broncos showcased their keen ability to bounce back after a loss when they smoked #3 Gunnison Valley in the one-loss final 11-1, earning a trip to the state championship game for the first time since 2010.
The game against the Bulldogs was close until just past midway through. Gunnison Valley cut into San Juan’s 3-0 lead with a run in the top of the fourth, but the Broncos took control of the game with a six-run bottom of the fourth.
Young hit a solo home run in the win; Keilan Hutchins and Kreed Herring drove in two San Juan runs apiece; and Brandt Bingham, Lacy, Nielson, and Young were all 2-for-4 at the plate.
Baylor Nielson had a strong outing on the mound, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out four batters in 5.1 innings of work.
The Broncos squared off against the Cowboys for the second time in as many days, needing two straight wins to earn a state title.
It was a battle for 3.5 innings. San Juan took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first and Kanab answered to tie in the bottom half. San Juan scored again in the top of the second to take a 2-1 lead.
Kanab answered with two runs in the bottom of the second, taking their first lead of the game 3-2. It was a lead they would never relinquish.
The Broncos were unable to score in the top of the third, but Kanab added two to their lead in the bottom of the inning. San Juan did muster two runs in the top of the fourth to make the score 5-4.
The Cowboys seized control of the game for good in the bottom of the fourth however, plating seven runners to take a commanding 12-4 lead. They added another run in the bottom of the sixth.
The Broncos battled hard, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough as they fell by a final of 13-6, finishing second in the 2026 2A Utah State Baseball Tournament.
Nache Young drove in three of San Juan’s runs and Kreed Herring was impressive again at the plate, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Keilan Hutchins and Remy Whatcott drove in a run apiece in the loss.
San Juan Head Coach Jens Nielson, who has just completed his eighth season at the helm, offered an insider’s perspective on the state tourney following the completion of the team’s trip.
“We hit well against Duchesne [in the first round], got standout pitching from Jagger Nieves and Baylor Nielson, and got a great walk-off hit by Grady Lacy to put the Eagles away in five innings with the ten-run rule,” he stated.
“We didn’t hit as well in the game against South Sevier [in the second round], but we hit well enough to secure six runs. We also got a standout pitching performance from Kreed Herring.
“He threw seven innings and struck out 13 batters against a team that came into the game averaging only five Ks per game.
“The win put us in the quarterfinals undefeated for the first time in a very long time. Going into the BYU round, we had Beaver in the quarterfinals.
“The Beavers had previously beaten us 16-8 in one of the worst games we played all season. During that game we learned a lot about Beaver that helped our strategy for this rematch.
“Beaver is a very talented team; when they have momentum they will put you away quickly. We also knew they are a team that has big swingers and they would struggle at BYU’s field because it’s so deep.
“We planned to throw Kreed around 60 pitches unless we were up and it was a close game. If it was close, we planned to ride him the whole game.
“We had Max Perkins as part of the game plan the whole time. In our first matchup with Beaver, we pitched him and they really struggled with the change of speed.
“Max came in and did his job. He threw strikes, kept them off balance, and kept us in the ballgame. We didn’t want to bring Kreed back into the game in hopes that he would be able to pitch on Saturday, but in a one-run game we did need him to come in and finish.
“He did an exceptional job and actually pitched better coming back into the game. With the pitching performance from our two freshmen, consistent hitting, and a very timely three-run double from Jagger Nieves we were able to put the #1 seed away and get a huge win.
“What our boys did to Beaver’s pitching was a phenomenal thing as it ruined their rotation for the rest of the tournament. They used their top four pitchers against us in that one game.
“That was a very sweet experience for the boys as we have struggled to beat Beaver in the last several years. Getting that win really fueled our fire.
“The semifinals against Kanab didn’t go as planned. We made a few nervous mistakes defensively, but otherwise we played pretty well.
“We faced a very tough pitcher and did a good job of putting the ball in play. We only struck out four times, but we just couldn’t find a hole.
“We have to give credit to the Kanab defense; they are very tough. Against other teams I feel like many of our hits would have found a hole. We had a few guys who were pretty defeated by the loss but they quickly reset and understood we had more games to play.
“We knew we weren’t going to lose when we faced Gunnison Valley in the one-loss finals. We knew where the Bulldogs’ pitching was and we knew they wanted nothing to do with our lineup at that point.
“We played two very tight ballgames the first time we played them and against two of the best pitchers in the 2A classification (Sorenson and Pickett). This time we played a very clean game.
“Baylor Nielson was stellar on the mound. His command was excellent and he was efficient enough that we were able to save some pitching for him in the championship game.
“Baylor has had a UCL injury since week three against Monticello, so pitching has caused some stress for him. We challenged him to give it one more effort and push a little bit harder.
“He rose to the occasion and pitched a gem. With the strong pitching, lots of hitting, and good defense, were able to ten-run a very good Gunnison Valley team and advance to the Championship Game.
“This was a very sweet experience with these boys. Coach Travis Whatcott, Coach John Young, and I have coached these seniors since they were eight.
“To see them grind, work hard, and accomplish a trip the state championship game is something we will never forget.
“We battled to the end and never gave up, but with our pitching running low we couldn’t pull off the victory.
“That Kanab team was one of the best teams I have coached against in my eight years. They were disciplined at the plate, their defense was exceptional, and their pitchers were efficient.
“They have three or four players who I feel are next-level talent. Still, we got great performances at the plate from Jonas Jeppesen and Kreed Herring, combining for five hits in the loss.
“We were proud to compete with a team like Kanab. Though we came up short of the state title we are very proud of the 2026 San Juan baseball team.”
There were numerous standout performances for the Broncos this season. Nache Young led the team with a .477 batting average, 38 runs scored, and 21 stolen bases.
He was also the only player on the team with a perfect fielding percentage. He didn’t commit a single error this season in 59 total chances.
Young’s .566 on-base percentage ranked second on the team, as did his 33 runs batted in. He finished the year with a team-high 41 hits in 86 at-bats, including six doubles, three triples, and two home runs.
Kreed Herring’s .641 on-base percentage led the team; it’s also currently third-best in the entire state. He batted a team-high .508 this season with 31 hits in 61 at-bats.
He collected eight doubles, three triples, and one homer. His 34 RBIs also led the team.
In addition to Herring’s outstanding offensive play, the Broncos are excited that as a freshman he was one of the best pitchers on the team.
His 2.64 earned-run average, 90 strikeouts, and six wins all led the team. His strikeouts currently rank fourth in the state. Herring allowed just 20 earned runs in 53 innings pitched this season.
Baylor Nielson hit .382 this season with 34 hits in 89 at-bats, including five doubles and four triples. He sported a .477 on-base percentage. His 37 runs and 16 stolen bases ranked second on the team.
Nielson earned the second-most wins among San Juan pitchers with five. He had a 4.16 ERA, allowing just 21 earned runs and striking out 45 batters in 35.1 innings pitched.
Nache Young, Kreed Herring, and Baylor Nielson are all representing San Juan High School in the annual 1A/2A All-Star Game in Monroe this Saturday, May 16.
Brandt Bingham finished the season with a .442 on-base percentage, a .385 batting average, and 30 hits, including six doubles and a couple of dingers. He also drove in 23 Bronco runs.
Remy Whatcott batted .368 with 28 hits, including 13 doubles and three home runs. He collected 20 RBIs on the season.
Jagger Nieves hit .355 with 27 hits. He had nine doubles, three home runs, and one triple on the season, driving in 26 runs for San Juan and scoring 36 himself. He stole ten bases, which ranked third on the team.
Nieves also gave the Broncos some steady pitching this season, finishing the year with four wins and a 4.80 ERA. He allowed just 24 earned runs and struck out 32 batters in 35 innings.
Keilan Hutchins batted .314 with 22 hits including three doubles and two homers. He drove in 24 San Juan runs and scored 21.
Jonas Jeppesen collected 19 hits and eight RBIs. He batted .279, scored 19 runs, and hit three doubles.
Grady Lacy had a .300 batting average with 15 hits, nine RBIs, 19 runs scored, and one double. And Jonah John provided some strong at-bats for the Broncos, hitting .344 with 11 hits, two doubles, and seven RBIs.
In addition to his comments specifically regarding the state tournament Coach Jens Nielson also reflected on his team and their accomplishments this season upon returning to Blanding.
“As coaches we knew from the beginning what our team was capable of,” began Nielson. “We planned to play in the championship game; we just needed the boys to believe. 
“Going into the season the seniors decided on a team motto of ‘Total Effort’, which to them meant looking inward and making a goal within themselves to do the hard thing and give something extra. 
“We asked them to write down one or two things they were willing to do or sacrifice to be a state champion.
“We discussed extra reps, getting to the weight room, swallowing pride, accepting different roles, and playing positions they didn’t normally play.
“We didn’t ask the boys to share; we just asked them to understand what it meant to them. I feel like these players took it seriously and made a conscious effort to be tougher physically and mentally.
“They made a conscious effort to be coached even if it was hard to hear. They made a huge effort to be positive, love each other, and to not get rattled no matter what happened in a game.
“The seniors were critical in this role. These boys have been playing with each other in travel ball since they were around eight years old and have always gotten along. They enjoy being around each other and love to compete.
“This mentality spread to the younger guys quickly. They knew they had a role and the seniors would support them when their name was called to contribute. It was awesome to see and was very fun to coach.
“We had some ups and downs throughout the season. We had some rough games, we dealt with some injuries to key players, we had some setbacks with disciplinary actions, and some of our injured players weren’t able to return.
“Despite all these challenges, the players never hung their heads and they never felt like they couldn’t compete. It was the next-man-up mentality and they were confident in each other.  
“This mentality set us up well for the playoffs. The boys came to compete and were not going down without a fight. We hit well all season and that continued in the playoffs.
“Not many people gave us a chance, but we never doubted that we would be there in the end.
“To the players I say, ‘Thank you for letting us push you, thank you for teaching us, and thank you for responding like tough men and rising to the occasion.
“‘You are truly going to be missed. I will never forget this season. I love you guys!’”