This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
South Jordan • Bingham's left-handed ace Sean Keating was in the zone, with his arm loose and his vision locked into the target. He smoothly entered his wind-up, cocked back, and unloaded a rising fastball.
Timber!
Keating watched as the teacher tumbled onto his backside in front of the entire student body after being struck squarely in the face. That was the first indication it was about to be a long, excruciating endeavor for the Bingham High faculty in the charity dodgeball assembly against the Miners' baseball program.
"It was really light, so when I threw it, it rose up — straight in the face," Keating said with a chuckle, admitting he felt bad afterward. "... I was just trying to hit him. I guess it was a strike."
Bingham coach Joey Sato laughed about the knockout, saying, "I haven't been in those things for years. I'm smart enough to stay out," but added: "That's part of the game. The teacher didn't think anything of it. He realized he probably should have got out of the way."
The moment was an illustration of Keating's personality as an ultimate competitor. The senior is a silent assassin. Polite, well-rounded and soft-spoken, he's also regarded as perhaps the best baseball prospect in Utah.
However, the Arizona State signee is missing one thing attached to his high school legacy: a title. Although he experienced one of Bingham's state-leading 21 state championships as a freshman in 2013 — he really wasn't a contributor until he earned his starting position the following season.
He led Bingham to the state championship in 2015 after posting a 10-1 record on the mound, using his four-pitch arsenal — a 92-mph fastball, curveball, change-up and slider — to register a 2.33 ERA, while contributing a .926 fielding percentage playing first base.
"He commands the zone really well," said catcher Kash Westercamp, who said Keating is one of the best pitchers he's ever worked with. "His competitive nature — he's always trying to get the first strike."
As a rare dual-threat — evident by the Sun Devils recruiting him as a two-way player — Keating also slugged .426 at the plate, with 46 hits, 35 RBI, 10 doubles and five home runs, helping him earn All-Tribune honors.
"In high school it might not be that rare, but for him to translate it [at the next level] — that is a rarity to be able to do both," Sato said. "You'd think [he's a better] pitcher, but he's been a middle of the order hitter for us since his sophomore year. It's probably sixes."
Yet Keating's efforts weren't enough to get the Miners over the hurdle after they forced a decisive second game from the elimination bracket after Keating dealt Pleasant Grove gunner Easton Walker his first loss in two years. The Vikings captured their first state title in 17 years in the next game hours later.
Keating said Bingham has used the heartbreak as motivation throughout the offseason, and he fully expects to be in the hunt for the elusive championship once again. Despite losing several essential pieces to last year's success — namely Kade Cloward, Cody Kitchen, Landon Walbeck, Ben Boelter and Tyler Zupon, who was also placed on the All-Tribune team — the program is hardly deprived of talent.
"He's our hardest worker. He has set a really good example for guys underneath him," Sato said. "Vocally, he's become a little bit more of a leader. Hopefully that translates because we don't have very much experience back, but we have a lot of kids that can play."
Keating said Bingham has trained with "mental toolboxes" to shorten their memory. "We've really prepared ourselves for anything that comes our way," he explained.
This season, when Keating takes the mound, he'll adjust his hat before every pitch and spit to his right. He'll inhale deeply and fire away.
As a self-described fan of mathematics, Keating comprehends the equation of baseball. Perhaps more than any other sport, baseball is about routine, about focusing profoundly on the present.
Keating isn't concerned about the previous or future batters. He erases his own strikeouts from his memory. Now that the season has arrived — he isn't concerned about what transpired last year, either. No matter a positive or negative outcome of each pitch, Keating remains collected and confident, and, even if it means hurling a face-planting dodgeball, he's prepared to win the moment.
Twitter: @trevorphibbs Tribune pep baseball preview
Class 5A • Defending champion Pleasant Grove starts the season ranked No. 18 nationally by USA Today. The Vikings return an array of experience at the plate, on the mound and in the field. Look for the usual suspects, American Fork and Lone Peak, to test the Vikings in Region 4. … With the addition of Cottonwood and Taylorsville, two programs with legitimate championship aspirations, the terrain through Region 3 became more rugged. Bingham is still the head honcho until proved otherwise, but Jordan will also make a push. … Region 2 is up for grabs, with Davis, Layton, Syracuse and Viewmont likely all in contention for the region title. The same storyline is attached to Region 1, as Mountain Crest, making the jump from the 4A classification, owns the designation as the early favorite. Watch out for Northridge and defending league champion Fremont as the Mustangs' stiffest competition.
Class 4A • Region 8 is stacked. Salem Hills is the preseason front-runner to claim the championship hardware come season's end, with virtually every component from last year's 25-5 unit still intact, but Maple Mountain and defending champion Spanish Fork could easily upend the SkyHawks' bid for the title. … Woods Cross appears to be the biggest danger outside of the southern region, but even the Wildcats fell to Salem Hills, 7-2, in the preseason. Bountiful returns a collection of battle-tested players and could easily return to the top of Region 5, as well. … Region 6 has yet to be established. Murray, which finished last season with a losing record, has unproven talent. The same goes for Olympus and Kearns. The Cougars could be sneaky good. … Timpanogos is loaded in its rotation. The Timberwolves are situated in a weaker Region 7, with Orem likely the only true competition for the top spot in the league.
Class 3A • The road to the 3A title travels through Region 9. Defending champion Pine View returns a wide range of talent, which has the Panthers positioned to repeat. But discounting Cedar, Snow Canyon, Desert Hills or Dixie would be a serious mistake. … Juan Diego is the front-runner in Region 11, with Logan and Bear River nipping at its heels. … Region 10 is a mystery. Park City was decimated from attrition, but the Miners remain in contention for the league title, with crosstown rivals Stansbury and Grantsville as the primary challengers. … With its relocation into Region 12, Canyon View is expected to duke it out with Carbon.
Class 2A • Manti lost a ton of talent from its state championship team last year, but the cupboard isn't completely bare for the Templars. Watch for Delta to potentially sneak up in the 2A Central region. … Enterprise, which forced a decisive Game 2 in the championship round before ultimately falling short against Manti, is in proper shape to make another postseason run in the 2A South. … Summit Academy appears to be the top dog in the downtrodden 2A North region. … Perhaps the biggest sleeper team in the classification is North Sevier in the 2A East region. The Wolves return a substantial amount of experience from a solid team last year. Gunnison and Emery are vying for the East title, too, making the league the deepest in the class.