Conrad Mergenthal, a seventh-grader at Saint John the Baptist Middle School, was selected as one of 12 boys to represent Utah in the Little League World Series - Mountain Regional playoffs. Mergenthal, a resident of Salt Lake County, competed as part of the Lone Peak Little League All-Stars team after being granted a waiver to play for the Utah County-based league.
Mergenthal served as the starting pitcher for the state championship game in Cedar City. Despite waking up with the flu on the morning of the game, he pitched four shutout innings in 102-degree heat to help his team win the state championship and become Team Utah. Although the team lost in the regional playoffs, Mergenthal has attributed his success to hard work and the discipline learned at Saint John the Baptist Middle School, where he maintains a 3.9 GPA while enrolled in honor classes.
Mergenthal has played baseball since the age of three. His father, Ryan Mergenthal, noted that Conrad has always shown a spark and has worked hard to find his potential. Mergenthal described baseball as a lifestyle that influences his daily exercise, diet, and study of the sport.
The Little League World Series is a youth baseball tournament held in August in Pennsylvania. The tournament features participants ages 10 to 12 who qualify through local, state, and regional competitions.
