High school baseball: Jim 'Shoe' Nelson wins Coach of the Year

SPANISH FORK — With a 4A state title, a 29-3 winning record and a nationally ranked team, what more could a coach ask for?

Coach Jim "Shoe" Nelson already has all three titles under his belt and now is set to be honored on a national level for his work at the helm of an impressive Spanish Fork baseball team.

The American Baseball Coaches' Association recently named Nelson as the National Coach of the Year for a midsize school. He is set to be honored in Anaheim, Calif., in January of next year.

Nelson recently finished his 31st season as a coach of the Dons with an all time career record of 488-161. Nelson has led the Dons to three consecutive titles. The Dons also won the highly competitive Big Dugout Classic earlier this year and were among the top 10 in many national ranking polls.

He has aided in the building of a remarkable program that has received national recognition and struck fear in the hearts of opponents around the state. Nelson, who played for Utah Valley and Southern Utah in his college days, is quick to credit good mentors as well as his players and the community for the program's success.