2022 Utah All-State Games: Quick Hits - Part 1 (Upper Class)
November 3, 2022
ALL-STATE GAMES “QUICK HITS” Part 1 (Upper Class)
PBR Utah recently held the annual All-State Games once again at beautiful Snow Canyon HS in St. George, UT, under crystal clear skies, on a gorgeous 70 degree morning, afternoon and evening. We started the day off with a pro style workout, where the position players and two way players, had the data collected in the various categories: Arm velocities from the OF, INF and behind the plate. We timed the running speeds of the players in the 10/30/60 yard dash via Swift Performance laser timing gates. We then took batting practice and collected the various metrics like: Exit velocity, max distance, sweet spot contact, hard hit % and other various metrics from Trackman Baseball radar system. We also collected data via Blast Motion hitting sensors with hand speed, bat speed, rotational acceleration and on plane efficiency.
In the afternoon, we squared off with 69 players in attendance by dividing into four teams and playing two games, with each player getting 3-4 at bats and pitchers throwing 20 pitch innings, with their data collected via Trackman Baseball once again. There were some of the usual names that Utah HS baseball fans, coaches, players and parents have heard from many times, before, but there were also, quite a few names that stood for the first time and made an impression moving forward.
Below is the write ups on the various players, and by clicking on their linked name, this will take you their PBR profile for added data, reports and the various video collected over time on each player.
Note: Player Videos for the All-State Games will be edited and downloaded into profiles in the next 7-10 days, so players, parents and college coaches, check back shortly for the added VIDEO COMING SOON...
2023
Malik Harris, 3B/RHP, 6-5 215 (Juan Diego Catholic)
2021 PBR West Coast Games
The physically imposing corner bat, and future power arm, had a really good showing as he stung balls in the BP portion of the workout, with a powerful, quick and slightly uphill path to elevate and lift the ball. Has present avg raw power and is in line, with his man strength to come, to develop into plus raw. Showing a max EV of 100, with a 75% rate of sweet spot contact. During game action, Harris got a FB middle-middle and crushed it, high and deep to LCF and out of the park. On the mound, Harris has been working on staying back and separating out of the glove earlier and over the rubber. This helped him stay back as he kept his front side closed and drove the slope and plane of the mound. Lands sound and the arm is a HTQ whippy arc, with a loose wrist to finish pitches. The FB was 86-89 with late finish and hop. The CB 73-74 had an avg MLB spin of 2451, and as his velo climbs, so will the spin. The SL 77 takes on quick lateral action, though can blend at times with the CB and create a hybrid look. A definite two type talent at the next level with a commitment coming in the next two weeks. Stay tuned…
Bridger Slade, OF/LHP, 6-3 200, L-L (Bingham HS)
2022 PBR West Coast Games
One of the most improved players in the state over the course of the last 4-5 months. Slade took off this past summer playing for CBA Summit out of St. George, UT and had a great summer, being invited to the Top Prospect Games, the West Coast Games and finally the All-State Games. Slade is strong and put together and can punish the ball from the left side of the plate for a 17 yr old, with consistent 100+ mph exit velos and he saved his best for the end of fall event on Sunday with an event best 104.4, after an event best 102 at the Top Prospect Games. The hand and bat speed have remained impressive as he gets the knob turned, with a slight barrel wrap. This will need to be fixed, but the bat speed is elite at 86 mph and the hand speed gets the barrel started at 25 mph. What Slade is able to do is really release the bat head out front and accelerate his hands and the barrel to contact, which produced a line shot that left the ballpark at 389’ to RCF and out of the park. It was 3-4 balls that he blistered during the BP portion of the workout. Look for a big season in 2023 out of Bridger!
Calvin Morrow, OF, 6-1 200, L-R (Fremont HS)
2022 PBR West Coast Games
Since the first day I saw this kid play live, all he’s done is hit and drive balls off the walls from LCF to the pull line. Morrow had a breakout season with a hitting line of .369 5 49 w/14 2B’s. A semi wide, square stance with a lean back and lift of the front heel as his first movement, while beginning to turn the barrel into the load phase, as his front foot lands soft and firm out front. Morrow doesn't have the fastest hands, but has abv avg timing and reads pitches and destroys FB’s middle-in. Able to tuck the hands in and buggy whip the barrel through contact for backspin LD power now and latent over the fence power to come. Defensively he needs the reps and instruction from someone who has a reputation of quality OF work, which are hard to find, but if the defense can catch up to the bat, the bat is of quality and with burgeoning power, this is a high ceiling offensive player.
Grant Scholzen, MIF, 5-9 165, L-R (Hurricane HS)
2021 PBR Future Games
The Pacific commit didn’t have his elite blast metrics on display during the BP portion of the workout as he has been known for in the hand and bat speed departments, but the smooth swing and on plane efficiency max of 88 with an avg of 80, was still able to shot balls on a line with strength through the zone at barrel release to post his best EV to date at 93.2. He back spun every ball in the round from the LCF-RCF gap. During game play Scholzen was 2-4 with an RBI and 2 runs scored, missing a 3rd hit on the day, as he hit a rocket on a line, back at the pitcher, that knocked the glove off and the pitcher was able to recover and throw him out by half a step. A nice tag play was on display, on a pot 2B to the RCF alley that Calvin Morrow cut off and fired a one hop strike to Scholzen at the 2B bag, who decoyed the runner into not thinking a throw was on its way and then snatched the ball and reverse tagged the runner standing up a half step into the bag for the nifty out.
Cole DeCastro, SS, 6-0 165, R-R (Desert Hills HS)
2022 PBR Future Games
2022 PBR West Coast Games
The 4A 1st ™ All-State SS and CSI commit took a clean efficient BP, by lining back spun shots from the LCF alley to straightaway LF. The metrics were his best yet at a PBR event from a Blast Motion standpoint, as he put up hand and bat speed metrics of 25.9 and 76.6 with an EV max of 91.3 in taking a clean crisp BP. Defensively the round was clean and crisp as the BP, showing athletic educated feet in sync with his glove work and firing EZ accurate throws across the diamond, while running a 7.20/60 on a slow wet track, with his best being a 6.93 at the Top Prospect Games in July.
Brexten Starley, C/1B, 6-1 215, R-R (Crimson Cliffs HS)
2021 PBR West Coast Games
The 4A 2nd ™ All-State catcher and CSI commit jumped in the box and banged ball after ball hard on a line, while posting his best bat speed mark of 79 on Blast Motion since posting 76 two years ago. Starley also posted his 2nd highest max EV of 97.2, while running a 7.17/60, which is an abv avg time for a catcher. Look for a big year from Starley as he continues to captain the Mustangs from Crimson Cliffs behind the plate, as they look to defend their 2022 4A State Championship.
2024
Dax Watts, 1B/OF, 6-0 190, R-R (American Fork HS/Mtn West)
2022 PBR Future Games
One of the better athletes in the state and led #TeamUtah in 6 of 8 hitting data categories (Trackman/Blast Motion) at the Future Games. Watts took a very impressive BP on Sunday with missile after missile on a line to LCF and cleared the yard a handful of times. Watts has consistently maxed out between 100.8 and 102.8 all year. A flatter setup from a semi crouched open stance, Watts gets and coils back into square and then just drives his hands inside the baseball with impressive hand and bat speed. Consistently in the low 80’s, the bat speed remained 83 with an affinity for finding the barrel during game play. Able to spoil pitches and take pitches, while making pitchers work. Watts looks the part of a hitter, but does some things in a crude way, yet has abv avg hand/eye coordination w/natural twitchy strength. Some four year school needs to jump on this guy!
Jett Walker, SS, 5-11 165, R-R (American Fork HS/’24 Trosky National)
2022 PBR Future Games
2022 PBR West Coast Games
One of the best athletes and “movers” at the event or any PBR event for the 2022 calendar year. A Future Games alum, that will get his first shot at the varsity level next spring as a junior, but keep in mind that he plays at a nationally ranked program that was filled with an entire D1 infield and was blocked. This kid would start at 90% of all HS’s in the state already, if he was somewhere else. The bloodlines are in place, as his father Jason was an All-WAC defensive back at BYU in the mid to late 90’s, and was a two sport star in HS, being drafted in the 24th Rd by the Montreal Expos out of HS as a CF. His brother Jack is an OF’er at Utah Tech. Jett is flashy, acrobatic and smooth at SS and it’s not manufactured, it’s natural and instinctive by nature. His feet and hands are “cat” quick, along with having extremely fast feet and feel for the ball. Can throw on the run with ease and flare, along with gaining ground quickly in coming in to charge balls. The arm is gonna be plus in time as he is 85-86 across the diamond and it’s easy. Look for a low 90’s over the next 2 years! One thing that stands out among the Swift Vertical jump metrics, was there was only 10 players of the 69, that had a vertical of 30+ inches and Walker was #2 at 34.99, essentially 35! The bat has hand and bat speed of metrics of 24.3 and 70.6, while producing a lower EV of 87.9, which suggests his bat speed is in place, now the strength is yet to come, but will as he is 5-11 165 and his Dad played at 6-1 195, so projected gains are expected, which when you put the hit tool that gets hits and legs out 2B’s, those hits will clear the gaps and his 6.76 speed at LakePoint will play up in the batter's box. Excited for his future!
Makaio Swensen, RHP/OF, 6-0 180, R-R (Snow Canyon HS)
2022 PBR Future Games
2022 West Coast Games
The Future Games alum was a big surprise as far as his bat was concerned. Having scouted him as a pitcher and that being his role as a sophomore for state power Snow Canyon this past spring, Swensen went both ways at the All-State Games, and took a very good BP. What stood out from a data standpoint, is his Blast scores of 25.2 hand speed and 77.8 bat speed were elite, to go along with a Trackman EV of 93.1. He features an athletic, even proportioned square stance at the plate with his bat held in the cocked position and fired the knob inside and through the baseball, with some natural lifted plane of attack to back spin the ball. On the mound, the sinker baller, pumped in K’s at 82-85 with the FB and reached a high 87.3 for a low ¾ slot at the Future Games in July at LakePoint. There is definite growth and maturation to come, as his Dad is 6’6 and Makaio has long legs for a 6 footer, so he may not be done growing? Big upside for any school on this kid from a two way perspective. Solid athlete and running gate!
Hayden Smith, C, 5-10 170, R-R (Snow Canyon HS/MBA/CBA Summit)
Smith has a very solid workout and showed well. The junior to be, was the starting catcher for the state powerhouse Snow Canyon Warriors this past spring as a sophomore, hitting .393 with 2 HR’s, 26 RBI’s and 7 2B’s to go along with 2 3B’s. Smith even walked 21 times vs 17 K’s, suggesting plate discipline is in place, to improve even more in that category. Smith put up a EV of 93.1 with a max distance of 352 to go along with a very good sweet spot contact of 82% and hard hit rate of 73%. From the Blast Motion metrics, an on plane efficiency mark of 82 was elite in keeping his barrel in the zone and in line with the baseball, giving him an elite chance to make the sweet spot and hard hit rates! Defensively Smith is an efficient receiver and continues to improve and get better in this area and does catch some slightly above average arms at his HS, plus his head coach caught for many years in pro ball, to go along with having a former 13 yr MLB pitcher as the pitching coach, to learn and grow along with his head coach in running and working with a pitching staff. This is by breakout player in the 2024 class for next spring and look forward to seeing his numbers soar even higher over the next two seasons. ** College coaches should get on this kid quick and he would be an impact bat and receiver at the next level **
Talan Kelly, 3B/RHP, 5-11 200, R-R (Snow Canyon HS/CBA Summit)
Kelly has been on my radar for a couple of years now, and I’ve seen him quite a bit at local Snow Canyon HS (14 active college baseball players - most in state), and I was able to see him for the first time since this last spring. Kelly is a strong fire hydrant type build w/a strong burly look and has really good leg strength. Kelly showed future solid avg raw power to the pull side with an EV max of 94.8 and drove one out to straight away LF at 356’. Also possessing one of the top 3-4 INF arms at the event at 84 mph across the diamond, Kelly also took his turn on the mound and spotted the FB to both sides, from 85-87 and wouldn’t surprise me to see 90 before next spring is finished. The separator on the mound, besides abv avg HS velocity, is the CB 74-77 featured spins of over 2500+. With 2 years of HS remaining, look for Kelly to be the next college baseball player coming from Snow Canyon HS.
Crew Secrist, SS/2B, 6-0 165, R-R (Snow Canyon HS/CBA Summit)
2022 PBR West Coast Games
The son of long time state champion head coach Reed Secrist, who was a 13 year veteran of professional baseball and has won numerous state title and coach of the year awards. The apples didn’t fall too far from the tree, as the other two Secrist boys have played college baseball. Crew is the last in the line and has improved leaps and bounds over the last 2 years, since entering HS, as he has cut his 60 time from 8.2 to 7.3 and has added significant wiry strength. All the Secrist boys as well as his coach/father are stout, tall and strong. Crew displayed even further strength gains this past weekend, with highs of 96.4 in exit velo, 78.8% sweet spot contact and has jumped his bat speed max to 73. Secrist has a feel for the game with the bloodlines, but has the wiry strength to get even stronger and take his short, quick slightly uphill stroke to another level over the next couple of years and add sme latent power. Best suited for 2B, but the hands work and the bat should play as an offensive 2B type at the next level.
Degan Rigby, RHP, 6-4 210 (Bear River HS)
Rigby is a big strapping country kid from the upper reaches of the state, but has the frame and natural strength that come with being 6-4 210, to reach back and throw a mid to upper 80's FB now, with plenty in the tank over the next two years of HS. The FB 85-88 at the All-State Games was his best velo to date, since we first saw him at the Northern Utah Open 6-7 weeks ago. The CB 69-74 has TQ tilted depth and needs added spin to create bite, so the pitch will take that biting turn at the end, to create problems for hitters. Playing for a quality state contending program at Bear River HS, and having a former U Utah alum in Donnie Hawes, who also played in the Reds system, helps as he is around a solid HS baseball environment.
Trey Purser, 3B/1B, 6-3 220, R-R (Ridgeline HS)
The 4A 1st Tm All-State 3B and the younger brother of NJCAA 2nd Tm All-American LHP-Dax Purser, Trey had a solid showing at the All-State Games, as in game action, he finished with a couple of hits, along with a HR to left and took a solid BP in producing a 95.1 Exit velocity and produces his lift and carry to the ball by taking an easy approach in driving the knob indie and through the baseball, and then releasing the barrel through contact with that extra oomph. comes from a bloodline of athletes in the Purser family and Trey is definitely someone for college coaches to keep an eye out for over the next couple of years.
Austin Ellis, 5-10 220, R-R (Mountain Ridge HS/Artillery National)
2021-2022 PBR Future Games alum
Austin has been away for the summer playing out of New Jersey and playing along the east coast with a talented travel ball club, and we were able to reunite for the Future Games at LakePoint. One thing Austin continues to do is hit and drive the baseball and take quality AB's. During the game action, Ellis drove a 1st AB FB off the CF wall for a stand up 2B to get his game action underway. He continued to find the barrel in another couple of AB's. His 95 mph exit velo was a good start to his day in the workout faze, although he didn't find his rhythm throughout the BP portion, but more than made up for it in the game action later in the afternoon. Look for a breakout year for Ellis at Mountain Ridge HS in 2023.
Luke Taylor, C/3B, 6-1 185, R-R (Olympus HS/Trosky National)
2021 PBR Future Games
Taylor has been one of our mainstays at our invite only events and was a breakout prospect at the Future Games in 2021. A toolsy player over skill right now, but soaks up instruction and lives and breathes the game. Once Taylor stepped in the box for the BP portion of the workout, it got quiet, as he launched a few high and deep to straightaway left and LCF, that brought rain on a couple. A fast bat that can produce bat speeds from 73-79 mph, with a slight uphill path and HR type stroke. Spreads out in an even prop square stance with his hands held deep and over his back foot to get his bat into a ready position, to just turn the barrel as he loads into his backside. Gets to quality separation and explodes his hands into the baseball with very projectable strength and future big raw power. The defense continues to improve. Still young and just turned 17, Taylor, still with two years left in HS, the best is yet to come.
Trey Evans, LF, 6-1 190, R-R (Crimson Cliffs HS/CBA/Mtn West)
2021, 2022 PBR Future Games
2022 PBR Future Games - Player of the Game vs Tennessee
The reigning 4A Utah Player of the Year and 2 time 1st ™ All-State honoree, Evans who is also a two time PBR Future Games alum, once again showed in BP why he is one of the better hitters in the state! At the Preseason All-State, Evans put up a 100.1 exit velo, with one HR, high and deep to LF at 396’, followed by a 97.1 exit velo at the Future Games and another shot of 387’. One stat particularly stands out from LakePoint as he put up a sweet spot contact and hard hit % of 82 in both categories, as well as a 360’ shot at the recent All-State Games. The power is to all fields, as I witnessed a shot to deep RCF and gone during Crimson Cliffs run to the 4A State title, as Evans put up 4 HR and 18 RBI during the state tourney!! What makes Evans Trackman scores impressive vs his Blast metrics, is that he has abv avg swing data, but not crazy data to suggest his distance max’s. He creates his distance and carry due to accelerating the bat head at contact with a whippy barrel release at the last minute, along with a lofted plane of attack at contact, to get the ball airborne for present and future power potential. Look for another big year in 2023 as Evans is another strong contender for Region and State Player of the Year awards for the next 2 years!
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