Utah HS Team Preview: Snow Canyon
February 23, 2022
Utah HS Team Preview: Snow Canyon HS
Opening Day is around the corner, try outs have been scheduled starting Feb 28th, and rosters are soon to be set. The Utah High School Activities Association has announced that opening day of the 2022 season will commence on Tuesday March 7th. The PBR Utah staff begins its 2022 season coverage with our annual preseason team previews, where we will take notes from coaches, and highlight returning players, newcomers, and some sleepers. Over the next couple weeks and leading up to opening day, we will be highlighting some of the top programs in the state 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 Utah will be pumping out coverage, highlighting individual players, games, rankings, scouting reports and nominating a player of the week. PBR Utah looks forward to getting out there this spring to see some great baseball.
We continue our coverage with the Snow Canyon Warriors, who in 2021 rode the arms and bats of four D1 and top JC commits, to capture the 4A State Championship in dominating fashion, with a 28-4 overall record. The Warriors are led by 4 time state championship Head Coach, Reed Secrist who looks to guide the Warriors on another annual title chase.
The Warriors had a dominating lineup a year ago and will look to replace the vast production lost, from behind home plate, in Gatorade Player of the Year runner-up, Mason Strong, who captured Region 10 and 4A Player of the Year honors. Strong also drove home 50 runs, and became the only Utah HS player to do so, this century or in recent memory. LHP-Carston Herman, was the stalwart on the mound and took his mid to upper 80's FB w/command to local WAC newcomer, Dixie State. Hitting in front of Strong, was 2 time All-State SS-Landon Frei, who took his powerful bat on to PAC 12 Utah. Frei recently in his first college AB vs Loyola Marymount on opening weekend, homered to put Utah up 2-0 in the second inning, which propelled Utah to victory. All-State 3B-Mayze Mosher who put up stellar numbers in his own right, now mans a starting spot in the lineup at down the road JC powerhouse, College of Southern Nevada.
With core players and returning All-State performers, such as CF/RHP-Luke Anderson (BYU), who was one of only three players across the state to score 50+ runs, out of the leadoff spot. The Warriors will have to make up for his absence in CF and on the mound, where his FB ranges from 88-93, as Anderson had been battling elbow issues for some time, and in the fall, underwent Tommy John surgery, which will relegate Anderson to DH/1B duties, however it will not hamper him with the bat and things from that standpoint shouldn't change. Returning OF/C-Sam Lindsey returns with his powerful arm and middle of the order bat. Lindsey was a Team Utah alum, at last summer's PBR Future Games for the top uncommitted players in the country. Two way, multi-talented Isaac Lyon (Grand Canyon U), the son of longtime MLB pitcher, Brandon Lyon will be the starting SS and take over as the staff ace, with his 88-92 mph FB and crisp secondary stuff.
This years Snow Canyon squad should make another deep run into the state tournament and definitely has the depth and fire power to make another run at the state title, as the Santa Clara area school, where Snow Canyon is located, boasts a decades long baseball tradition, one that has captured the attention at different points in time nationally. Snow Canyon wins on a consistent basis and supports PBR endeavors with player recruitment and sends players onto the next level, and does so, while playing in one of the prettiest venues in the state, with Warrior Field. 2022 will be fun to watch as the Warriors get into action in the next few weeks, when they welcome many of the snowbird programs to southern Utah for the annual pilgrimage of preseason tournaments. .
We now break down the Warriors with our team capsule below:
Snow Canyon by the numbers
Head Coach: Reed Secrist (18th Year)
(3A/4A Coach of the Year numerous times)
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4 State Championships
Classification: 4A
Region: 10
2021 Win-Loss: 28-4
State Playoff appearances in last 10 years: 8
State Championship appearances last 10 years: 4
State Championships last 10 years: 3
2021 Final PBR Utah Ranking: 2
2022 Preseason PBR Ranking: Stay Tuned!!
2021 4A State Champions
Key Returners with Class/Position
2022 Isaac Lyon, SS/RHP (Grand Canyon)
2022 Luke Anderson, CF/RHP (BYU)
2023 Sam Lindsey, OF/C
2022 Jake Johnson, 3B/RHP
2022 Ethan Anderson, RHP/OF
2022 Drake Kelly, OF,
2022 Logan Mendenhall,
2024 Ryder Harrison, 1B/OF
2024 Crew Secrist, 2B/SS
2024 Hayden Smith, C
2024 Damon Ence, OF/RHP
2024 Talan Kelly, 3B/RHP
2024 Makaio Swensen, OF/RHP
Young players who have College potential down the road
2024 Hayden Smith, C
2024 Crew Secrist, 2B
2023 Sam Lindsey, C/OF
2022 Isaac Lyon, SS/RHP (Grand Canyon)
2022 Luke Anderson, CF/RHP (BYU)
2022 Ethan Anderson, RHP
2023 Sam Lindsey, OF/C
2024 Crew Secrist, 2B
2024 Ryder Harrison, 1B/OF
2024 Talan Kelly, 3B/RHP
2024 Makaio Swensen, OF/RHP
Who is your X Factor to your success?
If the sophomores step it up and I believe they can. That will be our X factor!
Player lost to graduation and College Baseball
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Mason Strong, C (BYU - Region 10 and 4A Player of the Year)
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Mayze Mosher, 3B (CSN)
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Landon Frei, SS (Utah)
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Carston Herman, LHP (Dixie State)
Returning All Region / All-State players
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(1st Team/1st Team) 2022 Luke Anderson, CF/RHP
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(1st Team/2nd Team) 2023 Sam Lindsey, C/OF
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(1st Team/2nd Team) 2022 Isaac Lyon, SS/RHP
Coaches Summary and Outlook
We have some really good seniors, but obviously the arm injury to Luke Anderson has set us back, but there are still arms that can get it done again. Our defense will be solid and the hitting should be one of our strengths. If the younger guys can step up and it looks like they will, I believe we will be contending again in a tough Region 10 and also for another state championship.
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