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Cottonwood third baseman Hunter Heugly crouches with his glove at the ready, his left foot firmly planted in front of him.

His eyes never leave the batter, pitch after pitch. His laser focus is rewarded as he gets a handful of baseballs hit directly to him.

And it's only after each out, not just those stemming from his efforts, that he breaks his concentration on the field. Heugly celebrates with his infield mates with a succinct shimmy and finger point.

The sport is his life. He embodies baseball. Consistent and patient. Focused and humble. Optimistic and driven.

"Even as a freshman, he was one of our leaders," Cottonwood coach Jason Crawford said. "We're fortunate we've had him for four years. He's always been a play-hard, lead-by-example type of guy. [It's] kind of winding down, and I'm getting sad that he won't be around. I've had his name in the lineup for four straight years, so he's been a very big part of what we've done."

The 6-foot, 185-pound senior carried a .311 batting average into the weekend, a pivotal stretch as Cottonwood (13-8, 8-6 Region 3) aims for its fifth straight trip to the Class 5A playoffs. Heugly's four productive seasons have helped sustain that success.

Cottonwood has seen a long line of players like Heugly. Crawford said eight players on this year's team have committed to college teams.

Heugly is a University of Utah commit, but his path first will take him to the College of Southern Nevada. He will be the first in his family to play collegiate baseball.

Staying close to home is important to Heugly, whose two older brothers, Hayden and Coy, played baseball at Taylorsville High School.

"It's awesome. This is the best program," Heugly said. "I transferred from Taylorsville to be here just because of the program. The coaches are great. The players are great. It's just awesome to be a part of."

Following his honorable mention selection on the 2015-16 Class 5A coaches' all-state team, Heugly is near the top of several batting categories for the Colts this season, including nine doubles (leads team), 22 runs scored (first), 23 RBIs (second) and 23 hits (tied for second). He also leads the team with seven stolen bases entering the weekend.

Heugly's bat went cold in Wednesday's game at region rival Jordan. But he never showed frustration at his 0-for-5 day. He instead raised his glove to greet teammates between innings, celebrated each of the Colts' 15 runs and remained patient and focused.

That determination helps Heugly in his other passions, hunting and fishing. His passions are simple, and that keeps him focused on his goals.

"We've had a lot of players that play hard and buy in. And credit to them, they put in the work to be that good," Crawford said. "We try to prepare them the right way. Obviously winning comes first, but they all have their own goals, just like I did at one time. And I want to do the best I can to help them." —

Hunter Heugly

Year • Senior

School • Cottonwood

Position • Third base

Batting average • .311

Runs • 22

RBIs • 23

SBs • 7