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TImpanogos pitcher Billy Bird tosses to very first base throughout a 5A baseball state competition video game versus Orem at BYU’s Miller Park on Monday, May 22, 2023.
Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald
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Timpanogos coach Kim Nelson (in blue) holds a mound conference with pitcher Billy Bird throughout a 5A baseball state competition video game versus Orem on Monday, May 22, 2023.
Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald
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Timpanogos lefty Billy Bird provides a pitch throughout a 5A baseball state competition video game versus Orem at BYU’s Miller Park on Monday, May 22, 2023.
Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald
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Jordan’s Boston Williams (left) dives back to very first base as Billy Bird of Timpanogos takes the toss throughout a Region 8 baseball video game on Friday, April 14, 2023.
Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald
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Timpanogos pitcher Billy Bird recalls a runner to very first base throughout a 5A baseball state championship game versus Orem on Friday, May 20, 2022.
Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald
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Billy Bird of Timpanogos removes to very first base after making contact in a 5A baseball state championship game versus Orem on Friday, May 20, 2022.
Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald
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Timpanogos’ Billy Bird (3) swings at a pitch versus Orem in a Region 8 baseball video game on Tuesday, May 3, 2022.
Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald
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Billy Bird of Timpanogos drives a ball to center field in a Region 8 baseball video game versus Jordan on Wednesday, March 30, 2022. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)
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- TImpanogos pitcher Billy Bird tosses to very first base throughout a 5A baseball state competition video game versus Orem at BYU’s Miller Park on Monday, May 22, 2023.
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- Timpanogos coach Kim Nelson (in blue) holds a mound conference with pitcher Billy Bird throughout a 5A baseball state competition video game versus Orem on Monday, May 22, 2023.
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- Timpanogos lefty Billy Bird provides a pitch throughout a 5A baseball state competition video game versus Orem at BYU’s Miller Park on Monday, May 22, 2023.
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- Jordan’s Boston Williams (left) dives back to very first base as Billy Bird of Timpanogos takes the toss throughout a Region 8 baseball video game on Friday, April 14, 2023.
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- Timpanogos pitcher Billy Bird recalls a runner to very first base throughout a 5A baseball state championship game versus Orem on Friday, May 20, 2022.
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- Billy Bird of Timpanogos removes to very first base after making contact in a 5A baseball state championship game versus Orem on Friday, May 20, 2022.
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- Timpanogos’ Billy Bird (3) swings at a pitch versus Orem in a Region 8 baseball video game on Tuesday, May 3, 2022.
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- Billy Bird of Timpanogos drives a ball to center field in a Region 8 baseball video game versus Jordan on Wednesday, March 30, 2022. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)
Back in the 1970s and ’80s, flamboyant big league baseball supervisor Billy Martin led the Oakland A’s and New York Yankees with a design the media called, “Billy Ball.” It’s likewise the title of Martin’s bio.
Timpanogos showed its own brand name of “Billy Ball” throughout the 2023 season. It wasn’t flamboyant however it was stable, overwhelming and excellent: Senior lefty pitcher/first baseman Billy Bird’s efficiency was an important part of the Timberwolves go to the 5A state title.
It has actually likewise made Bird the Daily Herald’s 2023 Valley Player of the Year.
Bird has actually belonged to the Timpanogos university team given that his freshman season in 2020, when his older bro Jackson was his catcher. As a senior, Billy Bird kipped down a virtuoso efficiency. He was 10-0 on the mound with a little 1.19 PERIOD, setting out 71 and holding challengers to a .202 batting average. Three of his wins came throughout the Timberwolves nine-game state competition run and he held a no-hitter in the semifinals versus Salem Hills heading into the seventh inning. He ended up with a two-hitter, setting out 8 and walking 3 in locking out among the very best striking groups in 5A.
Bird began gradually at the plate however raised his batting average over 100 points throughout the last half of the season. He struck .343 with 36 RBI (which led the group). He likewise scored 35 runs, amounted to 38 hits and ended up with 8 doubles, 2 triples and 3 home runs.
“Pretty much for the first time in his career, Billy was healthy,” Timpanogos coach Kim Nelson said. “He struggled early at the plate but he had a great state tournament. I really like the new state tournament format. He got to throw three times and even though we lost three games during the tournament, we still won the whole thing. I love it.”
Bird said he matured playing baseball given that the age of 4 and concentrated on that sport from the start, though he takes pleasure in snowboarding throughout the winter season.
“There are two things I love about baseball,” Bird said. “One, it’s different every times and that’s what makes it fun. Two, my teammates and the people around me in baseball.”
Bird included that he and the Timberwolves gained from a brand-new pitching coach in Turner Knight.
“I kind of pitch backwards,” Bird said. “I’m confident in all my pitches but I rely on my two-seam fastball over the four-seam. That made a difference as I learned to build off of that. I think it caught guys off balance.”
Timpanogos declared the informal 5A state champion throughout the pandemic in 2020 by winning the Last Chance Tournament. It was removed in the Super Regionals in 2021 and throughout bracket play in 2022 to establish a run in 2023.
“I really like the state tournament format because honestly, I know no team was going to be able to beat us twice,” Bird said.
The No. 2 seed Timberwolves divided the very first 2 video games with No. 18 Uintah in the Super Regionals, then won 14-0 in Game 3 when they scored all 14 runs in one inning. Timpanogos likewise lost a 6-4 choice to Salem Hills at BYU’s Miller Park throughout bracket play, however Bird’s two-hitter the next day avenged that defeat and sent his group into the three-game champions series versus Region 8 enemy Lehi.
The Timberwolves won 5-2 in Game 1 however the Pioneers returned to win 8-7 in Game 2. In Game 3, Bird had a set of hits and drove in a run in an 8-1 triumph to clinch the champion.
“It was an unbelievable feeling,” Bird said. “It’s what you dream of. It’s crazy because it still doesn’t feel real. We worked really hard so it was nice to see that hard work pay off. We had such great team chemistry and everyone on the team was super close. Our team motto was ‘Brothers,’ and I honestly feel that was true. We were brothers for each other.”
Bird will bet the Utah Marshalls this summertime. The Marshalls are a developmental league for finishing high school elders and college gamers. In the fall, Bird will register at the University of Utah and play baseball for the Utes in the spring.
“I really love Coach (Gary) Henderson,” Bird said. “He’s an amazing guy. He reminds me of Coach Nelson and that’s one of the reasons why I decided to go there.”
Bird ends up being the 6th gamer from Timpanogos to win the Daily Herald Valley Player of the Year award, signing up with Mac Nelson (2002, 2004), Tyson Ford (2005), Brett Lopez (2007), Rhett Nelson (2008) and Tyler Cornish (2017).
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