This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The peak is easy to identify: May 5. That's when Utah baseball knocked off No. 13 USC in the most memorable fashion: a walk-off homer.

The problem with peaks is that once you reach the highest point, there's nowhere to go but down. And after the signature victory of the season, the Utes didn't win another Pac-12 game.

That's what's tough to swallow about a 16-36-1 (7-22-1 Pac-12) season that saw Utah finish in last place in the conference again. It always felt like a bit more success was within reach, but finishing strong was never easy. It wasn't easy to get the hit or get the save in one- or two-run games, and it wasn't easy to get to a new plateau, even when it seemed double-digit Pac-12 wins might be within reach.

After a fourth consecutive losing season in the conference, the program is left wondering just what it will take to get a little bit more closing power in the future.

"It's kind of been our problem the last couple years: We're not able to finish out those close ones," third baseman Dallas Carroll said. "Everyone definitely feels like we're moving in the right direction. I feel like the change is a lot bigger than the numbers show."

There was some change: The Utes won three more league games than last year. Their team batting average and on-base percentage rose, and they were not last in the league in either category. There's promise in Utah's offensive overhaul led by first-year assistant Jason Hawkins — especially when you consider the team graduates just two seniors and no everyday starters.

But then there are the negative numbers: Utah was last in ERA (5.17) and had a worse mark there than last season. While freshman Jayson Rose was a revelation — pitching his way to Pac-12 honorable mention while leading the team in ERA and strikeouts — it was tough to find a consistent Friday starter and get steady production in the bullpen.

Coach Bill Kinneberg acknowledges some of the pitching struggles were about depth and inexperience, which dogged Utah in other areas as well.

"We had four freshmen pitch a whole lot, and they have to play because of our needs," Kinneberg said. "It's one case where you hope some guys step up. But to win games in the Pac-12, you've got to have shutdown guys, and we're hoping to get those kinds of guys through recruiting and development."

The baseball team has developed a refrain of looking to the future, but after four struggling years in the Pac-12, it's worth wondering what that future holds. Kinneberg says the team's process and competitiveness is as good as it's been in the new conference, it just hasn't translated to winning.

The Utes give up competitive advantages in recruiting: The fertile prospecting grounds of Arizona and California are on the doorstep of some of the conference's best programs, such as UCLA, Arizona and Arizona State. If Kinneberg hopes to sell a recruit on the Utes, he said, he has to get invested earlier than the other Pac-12 powers. The fickle weather of Utah springs aren't ideal baseball conditions like Southern California boasts all year, and while the Utes say they enjoy playing in Smith's Ballpark, Kinneberg wouldn't mind seeing the university invest in an on-campus stadium more suited to their needs.

Utah's best recent success stories have been the overlooked prospects. Rose, for example, emerged as arguably Utah's best starter after being under-recruited. The Utes were onto him early, casting eyes on him after signing his older brother Josh.

The Utes are hopeful that the program's story is one of being overlooked — that in time, they'll be able to finish some of the close ones, steal a series or two and show the rest of the league what it hasn't seen.

When that will happen … well, maybe next year.

"It's getting better; the process is improving," Kinneberg said. "But it is taking longer than we expected."

Twitter: @kylegoon —

Slumpin' Utes

Utah has finished last place in each year of the Pac-12. (Colorado does not have a baseball program.)

Year Record Pac-12 record Conference placement

2010 23-28 10-13 6th Mountain West

2011 29-21 16-7 2nd Mountain West

2012 14-42 7-23 11th Pac-12

2013 21-31 7-23 11th Pac-12

2014 16-36 4-26 11th Pac-12

2015 16-36-1 7-22-1 11th Pac-12