This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

As one of the standouts for West High's baseball team, senior Jordan Pierce could be the Panthers' biggest offensive threat.

At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, he towers above nearly every other player on the field, and he uses his size and strength in a way that has led Panthers to high-scoring games in preseason matchups.

In the Panthers' first home game of the season, Pierce hit a solo home run against Clearfield to bring the Panthers back, when they trailed 12-7 in the eighth inning. Back-to-back homers by West evened the score at 12-12 in the ninth, but the Falcons eventually beat the Panthers. Despite the loss, Pierce's hit was not only a turning point in the game, but an indication of what to expect from West's best-known power hitter.

It may be early, but Pierce is on the way to his best season. And opponents and college scouts are starting to take notice.

He's been playing varsity since his freshman year, and he has been an integral part of the team, with consistency at the plate and smart thinking on the field.

"As a freshman I didn't start varsity too much, but as a sophomore I started every game, and since then I've kept playing and trying to improve," said the 18-year-old senior. "There are a few things I think I do well, like scooping the ball or controlling the game when I'm pitching. Since Coach [Bill] Groves came here I'd say my swing is a little more smooth and consistent in many ways."

He's hitting better than .350, but Pierce has also developed into a fundamentally sound pitcher for the Panthers.

While he hates facing down-and-away pitches as a batter, he sure likes throwing them. Working closely with West pitching coach Steve Schafbuch, Pierce has given the Panthers another option after they lost several star pitchers to graduation.

"Jordan brings leadership to the field and is a very competitive athlete. Whether he's at first base or pitching, he has a presence that lets everybody around him know that he'll do everything he can to get the job done," West coach Bill Groves said. "He's not real vocal out there, but more like the guy who simply leads by his abilities. This kid has taken all the necessary steps to improve his mechanics and it's his leadership that's something his teammates respect."

Having played competitively since age 5, Pierce has played on Super League and All Star teams dating back to when he was at Meadowlark Elementary. From then on, Pierce has developed and nurtured a passion for the game. And it has an effect on the younger players who are now looking to rekindle West High's winning baseball tradition.

Pierce's name recently appeared on a "top 40" list of best high school baseball players in the state, Groves said.

Having Pierce ranked up with the elite baseball players in Utah has given confidence not only to the standout first baseman, but also the other the Panthers who will fill his shoes next year.

As Pierce understands his responsibilities as a team leader, he thinks contributions from fellow senior Steve Hanna at catcher and infielder Sam Raymond will ultimately determine how West performs when it faces its first region opponent - Murray, on March 29.

"We're not playing up to our full potential right now, but once the regular season starts, we'll be pretty solid and a team to compete with in our region," Pierce said.

It may be early in the baseball season, but it's late in the school year for the senior, who continues to sort through his post-high school plans.

He'd like to play baseball for Utah and major in engineering, but he still hasn't ruled out the possibility of playing somewhere like College of Eastern Utah or even on the junior college level, somewhere in Idaho.

But these days Pierce says he's strictly focused on his game and helping West rack up as many wins as possible.