Middleton senior had 3 errors in last year’s district title game. This year, he was the hero
Baseball has a funny way of turning scapegoats into heroes. And Middleton’s Isaiah Anzaldua wasted no time snatching his opportunity.
A year after committing three errors in a district championship loss, the senior ripped a two-out, bases-loaded, walk-off single Thursday, leading the Vikings to a 6-5 win over Owyhee in the third and decisive game of the 5A District Three championship series.
“He’s one of the clutchest players on the team,” Middleton senior Robert Orloski said. “I think he’s won two or three games for us already. We just believe in him. He’s always going to make contact. He’s a big-time guy.”
The Vikings (22-5) entered the bottom of the seventh trailing by two runs before mounting a rally. Orloski tattooed a two-run triple to center field to tie the game. Then an intentional walk and another walk to the Vikings’ cleanup hitter brought Anzaldua back into the spotlight.
Middleton coach Bryan Swygart said the Vikings invested a ton of time in the offseason rebuilding Anzaldua’s confidence. They harped he’d get another chance. They told him he had the talent if only he believed in himself.
That redemption moment came Thursday, and Swygart called a timeout before Anzaldua stepped to the plate.
“I just told him you’re the right guy,” Swygart said. “No strategy. It’s all about just building that love with players, and I’m going to miss the heck out of that kid when he’s gone. Because I can’t believe the mental growth he’s gone through. He’s phenomenal.”
Anzaldua wasted no time once he dug into the batter’s box, jumping on a first-pitch fastball and lining it back up the middle. The Vikings stormed the field as Orloski crossed the plate, eventually chasing down and mobbing Anzaldua at second base.
“I was hunting fastball,” Anzaldua said. “Once I saw it, it was gonna get hit.”
The walk-off hit capped a wild, best-of-three district championship that saw errors nearly cost Middleton a title again. The Vikings committed four errors Thursday, leading to four unearned runs as Owyhee (20-4) pounced on each mistake with timely hits.
But the Vikings strung together one last rally to capture their first district title since 2005, when they played at the 3A level. Middleton never won a 4A district title, but it captured the 5A crown in its first season in Idaho’s top classification.
“Down two, down three (runs), we’re never done,” Anzaldua said. “We always say, ‘We’re not finished.’ We still have a state championship to go for. This isn’t it. We still have another goal to go for.”
Both Middleton and Owyhee clinched their state tournament berths weeks ago. And both already knew their seeds before the district championship series started. Owyhee will be the No. 1 seed at the College of Idaho next week, and Middleton will be the No. 2 based on their final regular-season MaxPreps rankings.
Andaluza admitted the Vikings often overlooked a district trophy in the past in favor of the state tournament. But after going 18 years without a district title, Orloski said they know how much it means.
Middleton is the first 5A District Three baseball champ from Canyon County since 1993.
“We came back this year, and it means a lot,” Orloski said. “You can tell everyone is super happy, and everyone is full of joy. It means a lot to the team. It means a lot to the coaches. It means a lot to the community.”
This story was originally published May 11, 2023 at 10:54 PM.
