2024 Utah Players of the Week: Potter, Davies, Johnston, Mawhinney
April 30, 2024
Throughout the spring season, PBR Utah will announce a player and pitcher of the week, every Tuesday, from the previous week. Coaches are sent emails to recommend players for the awards weekly. The awards are based on what kind of statistical week the player had, and it will be subjective, based on my evaluation of the player. Also you do not have to have attended a PBR event to earn the award, but I will lean towards the player I know more thoroughly and also what kind of collegiate prospect that player is. So it isn't only stats, but that is where it starts, with the other criteria as separators in case of a close call. In the event of two performance's in the each category, that could go either way, as to who gets the nod, two awards for that category may be given...
Players of the Week
|
Easton Davies RHP / OF / Orem , UT / 2024
6/04/23 A Future Game alum like the rest of his ProCase teammates, Davies has matured physically and blossomed over the past two years, from a 6-1 185 build to a physically imposing 6-2 210 and looks the part of a stud D1/Pro Prospect. With a 85-88 mph high spin 2600+ FB two years ago, Davies now clocks in at 89-93 and with his up tempo style flexible delivery and late shoulder turn, the delivery has deception and his FB jumps with the high spin at the plate for late reads by hitters with swing/miss tendencies. The SL 77-82 is hard and sharp and can flatten out at times, yet when he catches it right, it can be tough to get a barrel on. The SL spins at 2556, which is abv avg on the scale and takes a hard left turn and tunnels off his FB, making for a two pitch reliever profile. The CH is the pitch that needs development and use to fill a starters role, but at his current level, he can get by with two pot power pitches that have the makings of solid avg to plus offerings. A competitor with a deep passion to compete and expects success.
|
|
Holden Potter SS / RHP / Bear River, UT / 2025Rankings State Rank: 15 / POS: 2
UNCOMMITTED
|
|
Josh Mawhinney RHP / 1B / Brighton , UT / 2025Rankings State Rank: 9 / POS: 2
Pitcher Profile: RHP Another young 2025 that has the type of frame at 6-4 210 to dream on and project FB velocity moving forward. Should have a solid two pitch mix with the CH developing over time.
|
|
Chase Johnston LHP / 1B / Maple Mountain High, UT / 2025
3/10/24 One of the games that I was in attendance, and Johnston a BYU commit and the ace of the #6 ranked team in the state, has been the Golden Eagles ace since his freshman year. The former two-time Prep Baseball Future Games alum, threw a 7 inning stellar performance vs the #3 ranked team in the state, the Dixie Flyers. With a FB ranging from 85-90 mph, the future D1 lefty, had hitters off balance with his adding/subtracting to the FB and his controlled hammer CB for K’s. When he needed a strike, he was able to back door RHH’s and catch the corner for a called strike, and put hitters away with a spotted up FB low and away, as well as swing and misses at the top of the zone. He would then bury the CB just above the dirt for swinging K-3’s. It’s gonna be tough sailing for opposing hitters vs Johnston over the next two years and with continued projections to his stuff, we could be seeing a low 90’s lefty in short order. Congrats to Chase on this week's Pitcher of the Week honors!
|
RECENT NEWS
- UT Utah Commitment Board: Class of 2024 8/30/24
- UT CBA Utah Scout Day: Statistical Analysis 8/26/24
- UT 2024 Future Games - Utah Stat Leaders 8/13/24
- UT Utah Top Prospect Games: Positional Data Dive 7/15/24
- UT Utah Top Prospect Games: Pitching Data Dive 7/14/24
- UT Utah Top Prospect Games: Statistical Analysis 7/12/24
- UT Utah's Most Viewed Profiles - June 7/01/24
- UT Rawlings Tigers Scout Day: Statistical Analysis 6/30/24
SCOUTING DIRECTOR (BIO)
Scholzen comes to Prep Baseball after serving 9 years as the "Four Corners" Scouting Supervisor with the Milwaukee Brewers (2011-2020). Prior to his run with the Brewers, Scholzen worked for the Los Angeles Angels for 11 years (1999-2010), serving in the same capacity as the "Four Corners" Scouting Supervisor (UT, WY, So-ID, Las Vegas, AZ, CO, NM and El Paso). Scholzen received a 2002 World Series ring for his contributions as a scout with the Angels.
With the Angels, Scholzen created an Angels Scout Team, in which he coached the following MLB players: Kris Bryant, Kevin Gausman, Greg Bird, Tyler Wagner, Aaron Blair, Joey Rickard, Donn Roach, Johnny Field, Taylor Cole, Andy Burns and Paul Sewald to name a few.
During his run with the the Angels, Scholzen also served as the hitting coach for the Angels rookie ball affiliate in the Pioneer League, the Orem Owlz, helping guide the Owlz to the 2005 and 2007 Pioneer League titles, which earned Jeff two more championship rings.
In Scholzen's 20 year scouting career, he was credited with the signing of 6 MLB players starting with: Brandon Wood, SS, Angels 2003, 1st Rd ~ Efren Navarro, 1B, Angels 2007, 50th Rd ~ Donn Roach, RHP, Angels 2010, 3rd Rd ~ Tyler Wagner, RHP, Brewers 2012, 4th Rd ~ Payton Henry, C, Brewers 2016, 6th Rd ~ Ryan Aguilar, 1B/OF - Brewers 2017, 31st Rd ~ Scholzen also had an additional 3 players added to various clubs 40 man MLB rosters over the years. Currently 2019 (14th Rd) draft pick, RHP-Paxton Schultz from Utah Valley U, is currently in AAA with the Toronto Blue Jays, and former 40 man Brewes rostered RHP (Utah Tech) just recently returned from Korea and signed with the NL Champion Arizona Diamondbacks and will most likely start the year in AAA and once stretched out after an injury plagued 2023, File will move up to AAA!
Prior to becoming a professional scout, Scholzen served as the head coach at Southern Utah University between 1993-1997. At the time, Scholzen was the youngest Division I head coach in the country, when he was first hired at 24 years old. The Southern Utah baseball program was dropped after the 2012 season. While coaching at Southern Utah, Scholzen served as the hitting coach for the Alaska Goldpanners in 1995, as they won the Alaska League Championship. Scholzen also recruited and coached World Series RHP-Ryan Jensen of the San Francisco Giants, who would earn a top 5 finish for NL Rookie of the Year in 2022. Scholzen and Jensen had the unique opportunity, to be on opposing sides of the ledger, when Scholzen's Angels and Jensen's Giants squared off in the 2002 MLB Fall Classic.
Scholzen also had the pleasure of coaching Jensen's roommate and back up catcher, Kyle Turner who has worked in professional/major league baseball for 24 years. Kyle currently is in his 14th season with the big league Kansas City Royals and serves as the clubs Head Athletic Trainer. Turner was instramental, while a young player for Scholzen at Southern Utah, in introducing Scholzen to his first wife, the late Heidi Dalton Scholzen, who passed away in December of 2014. A native of Utah, Scholzen played at Hurricane HS and was twice named 1st team All-State and an AAU HM All-American, before moving on to Utah Valley CC and Eastern Oregon University, earning All-Conference honors on three separate occasions. Scholzen played in the Angels’ organization in 1991.
Scholzen was married to his late wife Heidi for 20 years and their union produced four children - McKyla 27, Miranda 24, McKenzie 22 and the couples only son, Grant Scholzen 19, who is a freshman 2B at D1 WCC school, the U of the Pacific (Pacific Tigers) on scholarship. After Heidi's passing in 2014, Scholzen married Cami Macias Scholzen, a widow herself and the same age as Heidi and the couple now have been married 8 years. Between both families, Jeff has 3 grandchildren and 5 step grandchildren (8 total) and the Scholzen's reside in Hurricane, UT in the bottom left SW corner of the state near the most iconic and scenic national parks in the country.