This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Nephi • A metal bat protrudes from the opening of an athletic bag. A glove blankets two white cleats and snugly clings to a softball inside. The bag dwarfs Taylei Williams, who on this stormy spring afternoon, is running late.
She phoned first-year Juab coach Tina Squire a half an hour beforehand to inquire whether to wear her hair up or down. "Game-like," Squire instructs. Williams, who is a petite 5-foot-6, was notified about her pending interview earlier in the week.
"She's so worried." Squire giggles. "I'm like, 'Be yourself.' "
A self-described perfectionist living 10 minutes north of campus in Mona, Williams is known for her tardiness. She admits her obsessive-compulsive personality makes it difficult for her to leave before everything is immaculate.
"It makes my mom really mad because when I go to bed at night, I have a routine I have to do before I'll allow myself to go to sleep," Williams says. "I'm so OCD about it."
Today she's sparkling, not a wrinkle on her uniform, with a gold ribbon tied into her deep-brown locks. As one of her teammates explains, Williams is a "girly-girl." She's the designated beautician for the top-ranked Wasps, painting toenails on road trips and braiding hair before games.
She appreciates the effort of style, which camouflages another characteristic of her personality: unyielding competitiveness. Williams' strike-three pitch will pop the mitt before a flutter of an eyelash.
"I've always had people like, 'Oh, the tiny pitcher is on the mound. This is going to be easy,' " Williams explains. "Then they're humbled when I get up and actually beat them."
Coaches suggested she bat left-handed, despite her dominant right hand, when she started playing softball competitively at age 8. Her physical makeup suited speed over power, but she refused to make the switch, believing in her capabilities. She's been doubted her entire career, she says, but that's quickly changing. Now considered one of the top players in the state, regardless of classification, Williams is demanding headlines.
As a junior, she verbally committed to play at Southern Utah, though Squire imagines "there will be a few more schools looking at her after this year." Williams is enjoying one of the best individual seasons in recent memory. As of Friday, she leads the state in batting average (.717), RBIs (43), slugging percentage (1.826) — which is the third-best in the nation — and ERA (1.17). She has registered 33 hits in 46 at-bats, with nine walks and two strikeouts.
Inside the circle, she has conceded 28 hits in 66 innings, registering a 9-1 record, with 125 strikeouts (nearly two Ks per inning), while limiting 253 batters to a collective batting average of .120 and .190 on-base percentage.
"I'm lucky to have her," Squire says. "She is kind of like a perfectionist. She works hard to achieve [success] because she loves the game and wants to succeed."
Williams' Type A personality may hinder her punctuality, but her DNA is programmed to be meticulous. She maintains a 4.0 grade-point average in advanced-placement courses, and, raised in the same home her mother grew up in, she practices pitching and hitting year-round in their barn with her father, who coaches the JV program at Juab.
"You can always do better," Williams says. "I always have things I can improve."
Scrutinizing her own game, she has pinpointed her strengths. Williams understands her physique requires a different approach because she can't rely on natural-born strength and size.
"I try and use every muscle," says Williams, who has topped out at 65 miles per hour. "I think how I've developed my pitching is how I've learned to use everything I have. When I pitch, I use my legs, my arms, my back, my core. I use everything."
Williams' work ethic and attention to detail have percolated across the entire program, and so too has her competitive fire. This team, behind its undersized star, isn't intimidated by measurements. They recently mercy-ruled Class 5A powerhouse Bingham in a 10-0 rout. They've won 16 consecutive games, while owning The Tribune's No. 1 ranking in Class 3A the entire season.
"I knew we'd be in it for the ride. I just didn't know how good, but I'm tickled and excited with them because they're everything we're hoping for," Squire said.
The Wasps (16-1) have never won a state championship in the program's 27-year history. "That would mean so much to take a small-town team and go win a state championship," Williams says.
Squire says, "This is the year, we're hoping." In order for their goal to come to fruition, however, the Wasps need to be diligent in preparation. Winning a state title requires sacrifice and hard work. Championships are earned, not rewarded.
So if this season culminates with the Wasps hoisting a trophy — with their freshly painted nails exposed — it will be a thing of beauty.
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
About Taylei Williams
School • Juab
Class • Junior
Position • Pitcher
Noteworthy • Williams is a three-year starter for the top-ranked Wasps, who have maintained the No. 1 spot in The Tribune's Class 3A power rankings the entire season. She's currently enjoying one of the best individual seasons in recent memory and is verbally committed to play at Southern Utah University.