Jason Batacao

2 weeks ago | sltrib.com | Jason Batacao

Kaden Carpenter crouched at home plate and peered out at the snow-covered peaks of the Wasatch Front and the gray rain clouds hovering overhead. Then the junior Ute outfielder moved his eyes from the sky to the dirt, where baseball legends like Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron trekked on this corner of Salt Lake City decades ago. Smith's Ballpark was empty, outside of a few stadium workers cleaning up the stale popcorn and trash left behind by Utah's fans. There will be no more strike calls.

3 weeks ago | sltrib.com | Jason Batacao

Kyle Whittingham is busy getting ready for his 21st season. After leading the Utes to a 5-7 campaign last season, the Utah head coach's worst season since 2013, rumors of his potential retirement swirled. Whittingham shut those rumors down with a simple statement. "We're back," the coach announced on Dec. 8. There were multiple reasons for Whittingham to make his announcement around that time.

1 month ago | sltrib.com | Jason Batacao

The year was 1983, and Dave Checketts was just becoming the president and general manager of the Utah Jazz. The Jazz were millions of dollars in debt, barely staying afloat after moving from New Orleans in 1979. In 1982, Utah sold the rights to its No. 3 draft pick, future NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, for $1 million. Checketts - and the city's now-longtime NBA franchise - needed a lifeline.

1 month ago | sltrib.com | Jason Batacao

Keanu Tanuvasa 's phone seemed to ring nonstop after he entered the transfer portal last winter. Some calls were from Utah football coaches, lobbying for him to stay in Salt Lake City. There was BYU with its own offer. Others were from SEC powerhouses Texas and Georgia, throwing their hat, and bags of money, into the ring for the star defensive tackle. And there was a call from former Utah cornerback Cam Calhoun, who had entered the transfer portal earlier that offseason.

1 month ago | sltrib.com | Jason Batacao

For yet another season, the Red Rocks fell short of winning their 11th national championship. No. 4 Utah finished in fourth place in the the NCAA championship finals on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas, with a 197.2375 score. No. 2 Oklahoma claimed its seventh national championship with a first-place finish, while No. 5 UCLA took second and No. 7 Missouri took third. Utah started off the match in third place following the first rotation, scoring a 49.45 on uneven bars.