Utah HS Player and Pitcher of the Week: Week 4

April 4, 2022
Jeff Scholzen
Utah Scouting Director

AS we dive into week four of the UHSAA baseball season, many players are having solid if not spectacular years. So far, previous player and pitcher of the weeks, have been players playing in 3-5 game preseason tourneys down south, where players can accumulate statistics worthy of consideration for the weekly awards and "other notable performances."

With region play now commencing, northern Utah schools move into 3 game region series, while southern Utah schools play 2 region games a week, due to the head start the St. George schools and others attending their tournaments get early in the season. So earning a weekly award has to be a well earned award, as there are not as many games and AB's to collect stats from. So anywhere from 6-10 AB's down south and 9-12 AB's up north will be the norm from a stats collection standpoint. So a really good 2 game showing down south or a good 2 out of 3 up north has to be considered. For pitchers it's the one game they will throw no matter how many games are played that will get the job done.

Player of the Week

Cole Kershaw 1B / Jordan, UT / 2023

Rankings State Rank: 3 / POS: 1 Overall Rank: 206 / POS: 7

Commitment: Utah

G 3 AB 12 R 6 H 6 HR 1 RBI 5 2B 2 BB 2

The loudest bat in the ‘23 class belongs to Kershaw. Alum of the Power Showcase HR Derby, the U Utah commit has ++ raw power and displays it almost immediately walking into the box in a BP setting. But he does it in games as well. The 2021 6A triple crown statistical leader as a sophomore, Kershaw has lift in a very powerful stroke to hit with a max EV of 102.6. He also shows big hand and bat speed metrics at 28.2 and 82, which are elite data points. Nicknamed the “Baby Bull” by yours truly, it’s caught on across the state, and he also reminds me of former big league hitter, Rusty Staub. For a big kid he can really whistle the bat and drive high and deep shots to the pull side. Look for Kershaw to contend for player of the year honors before his HS career cones to a close in 2023.

Pitcher of the Week

Payton Gubler SS / RHP / Desert Hills, UT / 2022

Rankings State Rank: 2 / POS: 2 Overall Rank: 172 / POS: 40

Commitment: Brigham Young U

IP 7 H 5 R 2 ER 1 BB 1 SO 13

Gubler made his way to Chicago for the Super 60 and didn't disappoint or let the moment get too big. Gubler displayed his two way ability in the box and on the mound, but it was on the mound that Gubler's star shone bright. As a hitter, the ball was struck consistently hard and on the barrel, with hard LD's and a fast bat. At SS, Gubler showed lateral agility and quickness to stay on the dirt and picked balls clean, with 91 mph bullets across the diamond. On the mound, is where Payton's star was the brightest. Showing near flawless timing in his delivery via ProPlayAI's biomechanical pitching breakdown, Gubler was firm with 3 pitches, as he showed a clean, quick HTQ arm stroke with solid finish and direction down and through foot strike. The ball exited clean out of the hand, with FB's 92-94 and sat comfortably at 93 with a fair movement profile. The SL 83-86 is a weapon, that varies between 2400-2600+ spin. The shape and depth can vary, as the pitch reacts like a hard TQ cutter and at times, when he catches it right, he can bury it like a hard pwr CB. The CH 85-87 is a new pitch in his arsenal, and it was nasty at times, as the catcher mentioned, he had a hard time catching it, with the amount of run and sink it displayed. The pitch was thrown with FB arm speed and deception, while killing spin and letting gravity take over. Showed the makings of 3 avg to plus pitches and will be heavily scouted come spring.

PBR Super 60 Alum