Robles not perfect but unbeaten

PROVO — Before Thursday's game in the 4A winner's bracket finals, Cottonwood senior Tanner Robles had never recorded a loss in a high school baseball game.

He still hasn't.

The left-handed, two-time MVP threw a complete game to get win No. 33 of his career. With a 7-3 victory over Mountain Crest, Cottonwood moves to the championship game for the third consecutive year.

"This is what you play baseball for," said Robles. "It has been great the past two years, but if we hadn't made it this time, it would have been a complete disappointment. We knew we had the best team, and now we are just one game away from proving it."

Robles may not have had his best stuff. He's had games where he was more dominant than the 10 strikeouts, three hits and three runs he allowed in 142 pitches. Mountain Crest had its chances against him as it stranded 12 base runners, but there was a reason he may not have been as strong.

"He's had strep throat all week, and it came back last night. We didn't even know if he was going to be able to throw today," said Colts coach Jon Hoover. "I'll tell you what, he gutted it up. I think that's the most pitches he's ever thrown in his career."

Robles, who is expected to be an early-round draft choice next month in the Major League draft, usually follows a strict pitch count, but don't blame the coach for his throwing that long.

"There was no way I was taking him out according to him," Hoover said. "He came in after the fifth and said, 'Coach, I am finishing this, no matter what.' I told him, 'OK baby, it's yours."'

In fact, when Robles got in a little trouble in the seventh, Hoover paid him a visit at the mound, a very brief visit.

"When coach starting coming out, I just looked at him and said, 'Get out of here, I'm not going anywhere,"' said Robles.

While Robles took care of the Mustangs' lineup for the most part — they scored two in the fourth inning on an error and a catcher's interference call, and added one in the seventh when Nick Salvesen was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded — Kyle Beverly and Dalton Gust did most of the damage offensively for the Colts. Beverly picked up two RBIs on two doubles, bringing his RBI total to 14 in the four playoff games. Gust went 3-for-4 with three singles and two RBIs. Robles and Austin Wadsworth chipped in with an RBI apiece.

The other player Hoover felt had a terrific game, and may be the team's MVP on the year, was catcher Rem Wilson. Besides catching Robles, which is no easy task with his 90-plus MPH fastball and wicked curve, he calls the game and provides leadership. He was 1-for-2 at the plate with two walks and three runs scored.

"Rem gets overlooked all the time," said Hoover. "What he does for leadership and behind the plate is so important. I can't even stress it enough. The guy can play."

Cottonwood goes for its third-straight title today at 11 a.m. at BYU when it plays a rematch against Mountain Crest, who beat Provo to advance.

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E-mail: mblack@desnews.com