Mr. Baseball: Spanish Fork's Kayden Porter came up big for Dons

Porter's three-home run effort may have been the highlight of his season, but he was solid throughout the year. The Dons could count on him to come through at the plate and on the mound, as well as entertain them with mammoth home runs in batting practice. In Spanish Fork's 9-0 win over Snow Canyon in the 4A championship game, he hit a two-run triple.

"He was our guy all year," Nelson said. "He was our big guy at the plate and on the mound. He led our team in home runs, batting average, virtually every category that there was. Just having that threat in the lineup and that power source is a big help to the club."

Porter could be even better as a senior next season, as crazy as that seems. Along with continuing to hone his skills this summer, he will try out for Team USA's 18-under team, and play in the AFLAC All-American Game in San Diego. Next summer will be interesting for Porter, as he'll likely be an early-round pick in the Major League Baseball draft, and have to decide whether to play at North Carolina or sign a contract with the big-league team that selects him.

"I think he's going to have an outstanding future in the game," Nelson said. "He's going to be a highly sought after individual, not just as a pitcher but at the plate, too."

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