Team Preview: Skyridge HS

Team Preview: Skyridge HS

Players in Utah have been eager to compete for their high school programs and it feels as if we are getting close. 2020 saw the cancellation of the 2020 season, however as may approached, it began looking like Utah was going to be able to resume baseball activities  with the annual American Legion season. The UHSAA has announced that the first day of official team practice/tryouts will be Monday March 1st, with the opening day of the 2021 season on March 8th. Programs have been allowed to practice since the 1st part of January, with open field workouts, however there will be a two week moratorium of practices and coach involvement, between the dates of Feb 15-28. PBR Utah will begin its 2021 season coverage starting with our team by team previews, as we highlight some of the top programs statewide in our team previews. PBR Utah will also be publishing its state Power 25 rankings that will be updated every Monday once the season begins. Throughout the season, PBR will be pumping out coverage, highlighting individual players, games, rankings, scouting reports and nominating a player of the week. PBR looks forward to getting out there this spring to see some great baseball. 

Of Note: As we countdown to opening day with the team previews, we still have one big event to kick off the HS season with the PBR Utah Preseason All-State. This event will be the kick off to the season, as it's an INVITE only event of the top players in the 2021-2024 classes. 

School History: Skyridge High School is located in Lehi, UT (Utah County) in the Provo metropolitan area. The school opened in August 2016. Skyridge High's mascot is a Falcon named Flash, and their colors are burnt orange and steel gray. 

Team/Coach History: The Falcons have gotten off to a very good start for a 5th year program. The schools’ first Head Baseball Coach, is a recognizable name in the Utah baseball community, as well as  the baseball industry as a whole in Ryan Roberts. Roberts was the BYU recruiting coordinator for over a decade, and before that was an assistant coach at Utah Valley State College (Now Utah Valley University). At BYU he hit .356 as a junior in 1995 and .395 in 1996 with 23 home runs as the leadoff hitter for the Cougars. As a third baseman, he was named first-team All-Western Athletic Conference Eastern Division. He ranked third in the NCAA in homers and fourth in RBI as a senior. He scored a record-setting 53 runs in WAC games and was twice named WAC Player of the Week. He set BYU records with six hits in one game against Wyoming, including four home runs. He was a third-team selection on the Smith Super Team chosen by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Roberts was taken three different times in the MLB First Year Player Draft, and played one season in the minor leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals organization, splitting time between Peoria, Ill., and New Jersey in 1996. He was drafted by the Florida Marlins after his junior year and by the Chicago White Sox in 1994.

As a UVSC player, he set several records in 1993 and 1994. He is the only UVSC player ever to hit for the cycle in a game. He hit 14 homers and had 14 steals in 1994. He also has UVSC's second longest hitting streak, hitting safely in 18 straight games in 1994. He was named first-team All-Region after compiling a .393 career batting average. 

Writers History with Coach Roberts: As mentioned above, as a top college baseball player, I was the Head Coach at Southern Utah University and coached against Roberts when he was a player at BYU. As a leadoff hitter, it was tough to face him, as he was a virtual power threat every time he stepped to the plate, and was an instant offense. As a D1 recruiting coordinator at BYU (Recruited future MLB players, Jacob Hannemann, CF, Jaycob Brugman, RF and Taylor Cole, RHP), I established a close relationship with Ryan, as an MLB Area Scout for the Angels at the time. We talked about players and recruits on a regular basis and we were supporters of each other. Any College coach can take what Coach Roberts says to the bank on not only his own players, but on players in the surrounding area of Northern Utah. Not many HS programs in the country can boast of having someone with Coach Roberts resume’ leading a HS program, as well as a program that has become very successful in a short period of time. Skyridge is lucky to have Coach Roberts!

Head Coach: Ryan Roberts (5th Year)

State Classification/Region: 6A / Region 4

Number of State Tourney Appearance in last 10 Years: (2017-2019) 3

Number of Final 4 State Tourney Appearances: (2017-2019) 3

Number of State Titles in last 10 Years: 0 

# of Returning Players: 7

# of Returning Pitchers: 3 Starters

Team Strengths: Team Speed and Starting Pitching

Team Weaknesses: Varsity Experience

(Pictured Above: Tyler Ball, RHP)

Top Returning Players: 

2023 Tyler Ball, RHP 6-2 190 (Commitment: Stanford U) PBR #1 Ranked Player in class 

2021 Garret Bauer, SS, 6-1 180 R/R, (Salt Lake CC) Plus runner, 6.6/60 yard dash with a plus arm that’s lower 90’s across the diamond. Abv avg baserunner with solid actions in the field. If the bat comes on a bit more, could turn into a solid prospect. 

2021 Mitch Adamson, CF, 6-2 185 R/R (Uncommitted) Good runner and can really track the ball in the OF. Had a great summer with Mountain West Baseball and was one of their better guys. Also an All-State football player and has football offers, but wants to play college baseball. (Lots of college talk, yet remains uncommitted). 

2021 Matt Garside, C, 6-1 175 R/R (Uncommitted) Middle of the order hitter for the Falcons and blocks and receives to play at the next level. Arm is adequate, yet shined in the SLCC college league last summer as an up and coming senior vs college level pitching. Played in 6 games and had 9 hits and more than held his own. (Call Coach Roberts on his college entrance timeline). 

2022 Nick Holland, LHP/OF, 5-10 160 L/L (Uncommitted) Abv avg runner as a position player and on the mound has averaged a K out per inn, over the last two years on varsity. Up to 84 and needs some more velocity, but is a good athlete. Starter on the varsity basketball team. 

2021 Kade Sampson, INF, 5-11 175 R/R (Uncommitted) Will be a 4 year varsity letterman and according to Coach Roberts, CoVid crushed his experience, because he isn’t a travel ball or showcase kid, but is a solid player that should hit in the middle of the order. 

2022 Colby Carter, RHP/INF, 6-3 180 (Uncommitted) Solid athlete with a FB 82-86 as a sophomore and there’s more in there. Commands the breaking ball w/a 3 pitch mix. Will play college baseball. 

2023 Mason Thompson, RHP, 6-3 215 (Uncommitted) and will be a stud on the mound according to Coach Roberts. Good pitchability right now w/a FB in the low to mid 80’s as a freshman. Had a great summer with Mountain West Baseball, yet broke his knee running into the wall at SLCC in their fall league. Should see some varsity innings as a sophomore. 

2023 Dalton Young, C/OF, 6-1 175 R/R (Uncommitted) Abv avg runner and athlete, who started varsity as a safety in football. Will be a good player to follow in the future. 

2024 Isaac Johanson, INF, 5-9 150 L/R, Solid summer with Mountain West and should get some varsity AB’s this year and has a very bright future. 

2024 Ike Pickle, SS, 5-10 145 R/R, Good athlete, swings the bat and runs well. Good arm strength now for his age. Will be a prospect in the next few years. Should get some varsity AB’s this year and another with a bright future. 

Players Lost from 2020:

Kai Roberts, 3B, 6-4 200 L/R (U Utah) Coach Roberts son

Bryant Ball, C, 5-11 205 R/R (BYU) on a LDS Mission

Who is the X-Factor: Tyler Ball on the mound and Garret Bauer/Mitch Adamson at the plate.

Summary of you 2021 Team:

“We return a lot of players from last year, that would have seen a lot of playing time, had the season not been shut down because of the pandemic. We return some good arms and guys that have played a lot of baseball and have an understanding of how to throw strikes. We have good team speed and look to put the pressure on the defense. We return a lot of players that can swing the bat and we should be competitive. We look forward to the challenge of 6A and playing in a tough Region 4.”