In his 12 years at the helm of the Jordan High School baseball team, head coach Chad Fife has seen a lot of players come and go. He’ll surely miss Noah Gatti. 

The senior signed off on May 15 in a 14-3 setback to the Orem Tigers in the super regionals of the 4A state tournament. Before that season-ending defeat, he played a big role in Jordan’s two-game sweep of Roy on May 9 and 10. The Beetdiggers defeated the Royals of Region 5 14-1 and 12-2 to advance. In the first win, Gatti batted in three runs. 

For the season, Gatti had 34 RBI along with two home runs, three triples and seven doubles. 

Reflecting on his career, Gatti is grateful for the opportunities he had to play the game he loves. He also enjoyed playing alongside good teammates. 

“The best parts of being on the Jordan baseball team has to be the opportunities it has given me to play and grow with my friends,” Gatti said. “When I was a sophomore, I had a brother who was a senior, and I was fortunate enough to win a spot as an underclassman and play with my brother on the same field. That experience was amazing, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

Being a good baseball player requires skill, talent and effort. Gatti has displayed all three. He loves the sport because of its competitive nature. 

“What I enjoy most about competing is the constant grind it takes to be successful, and I love the whole process of baseball,” he said. “I continue to do it simply because I love it, and there is nothing else I’d rather be doing than playing ball with my boys.”

Gatti started playing at around age 4 after watching his older brother and a cousin play. He was drawn to the sport and wanted to emulate his mentors. 

“I thought they were the coolest people ever when I was that young so, that was my draw to baseball,” he said. 

During his career, Gatti showed excellent batting and fielding skills. He was also an important leader for the Beetdiggers, helping younger players with his example of hard work and resilience. This season, Gatti focused on his hitting power and his speed. Like many high school athletes, Gatti wanted to end the season and his career with a state title. Though he didn’t achieve that, he was pleased to say that he didn’t withhold any amount of effort. 

“Individually I want to look back at the season and know that I got better and gave everything I had every day,” he said. 

For his returning teammates and other people who play or want to play baseball at a high level, Gatti has some advice. He acknowledged it’s difficult to perform consistently throughout the season, but having the right attitude can help you overcome this challenge. 

“One of the most challenging things for me is consistency throughout the whole season,” he said. “The season is long, and being consistent day in and day out is tough. But that’s where you have to know how much you love the game, and you learn when things get tough to just grind it out.”

With this chapter in Gatti’s life and career over, he’ll soon move on to the next one. 

After graduation, Gatti will attend the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls. Not only will he continue his education there, but Gatti will be a part of the college’s baseball team.

“I’m super-excited to get there,” he said. λ