Utah Diamond Notes: Week Three
March 27, 2024
2024 Red Rock Classic Notes (20 Players Mentioned)
The annual Red Rock Classic, held every third week of March in St. George, Utah has always drawn the top 6A programs in the state, with each team playing four games over a 3 day period. The tournament has been held on the campus of Utah Tech at beautiful Bruce Hurst Field, but this year, the teams took the action down the street to also beautiful Dixie HS and Flyer Field.
The field for 2024 consisted of Coronado and Desert Oasis high schools out of Las Vegas, matching up with three state power programs in Dixie, American Fork and Pleasant Grove HS, along with former power Taylorsville. Each team played each other from Thursday through Saturday. Action got underway with two late afternoon and night games, with the 4:30 tilt, pitting Taylorsville taking on Pleasant Grove and at 7:00, American Fork took on the host Dixie Flyers.
THURSDAY
Pleasant Grove vs Taylorsville
In a matchup of a current state power in the Vikings from Pleasant Grove and the power program of the 80’s and the decade of the 90’s, the Vikings had their way in the run rule 10-0 affair. Leading the charges were RJ Wilson, 3B with 2 hard hit singles through the four hole and also the six hole, the former Future Gamer finished 2-2 with 3 runs scored and 2 BB’s, reaching base in all 4 PA’s. Slater Schow, RF also had a 2 hit day, as he finished 2-2 with a BB and he also reached base in all of his 3 PA’s. Mason Henry-1B and a former player of the game at last year's Future Games, punctuated the day with a 2 run HR, his first HR at the varsity level. It was a no doubter type, high and deep to LF and Henry stopped to briefly admire it and I would as well. The sophomore 1B/RHP, is also a 2026 invite to this summer's Prep Baseball West Coast ProCase at Pepperdine U on June 2nd.
#6 American Fork @ #3 Dixie
In the nightcap, and boy is there a lot to unpack! In front of a packed Flyer Field, the Caveman and Flyers squared off in an epic high intensity battle of top 10 ranked programs. Both teams were littered with current and future college commit type players. All told by my count, there were 5 Top 10 prospects from the 2024-2026 classes between both teams, along with 6 former Future Game and 3 West Coast Games alums all on the field at the same time!
After the Flyers had already thrown their two region starting pitchers in Braxton Yates, LHP (CSI commit) and Jake Andreas, RHP (offers in the table) in this weeks region wins vs Cedar on Tues and Wed, the Flyers turned to 3B-Logan Leavitt who gutted out 108 pitches for 6.2 innings with 9 K outs, the Flyers got off to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, before the Cavemen tied things up in the 3rd inning. The Flyers answered back with a run in the bottom of the 2nd to take the lead 4-3, and things stayed that way until the 6th, when Dixie notched their 5th run of the game, before holding onto their hats in the 7th, when American Fork scored and put themselves within a run with 1st and 3rd with 2 outs and the tying and go ahead runs on base, Ridge Erickson, the BYU bound top defensive catcher in the state, who had already picked off one runner at 1B on the night, took things into his own hands. Sidenote: I leaned over to a baseball friend seated next to me and said “it wouldn’t surprise me to see Erickson back pick to 1B and end the game on a pickoff!” I then said “wouldn’t it be so ending if he did? This place would go crazy!” 2 pitches later, that exact scenario played out and on a CB away from SS and relief pitcher Boston Vest, Erickson pulled off his signature back pick as he sprung to his feet and fired a missile to 1B for the final out and I don’t think I’ve ever seen in the literally 10,000 games I’ve been in a ballpark, that I’ve seen the game sealed with a game ending pickoff at 1B!! The place did go crazy and fans started hearing about the prediction and we called Erickson to the backstop to inform him it had indeed been predicted! What a game!
Some of the player highlights were from the games biggest college prospects, as for American Fork, sophomore 2B-Bode Gaggero, who will rep Team Utah at the Future Games this summer led the way with a multiple hit game, as well as starting pitcher and later at SS-Jett Walker with a ringing 2B into the LF corner. 1B-Dax Watts had a tough night at the plate with 3 K’s, but jumped on a CB to CF for an RBI, to bring the game to within a run in the 7th.
The Flyers were led at the plate by LF-Braxton Yates and 1B-Cooper Bartholomew, who both contributed doubles on the evening. But it was the performance of Logan Leavitt on the mound and Erickson behind the plate, working in concert all night to secure the big win 5-4.
FRIDAY
With a multitude of games on the docket and seeing 3 games on the day the big game once again pitted…
#3 Dixie vs. #10 Pleasant Grove
RHP-James Lea was the the star of the night as the senior pitcher, threw a gem in pitching a CG 7 inning, 3 hit shutout with zero BB’s and 7 strikeouts. With only 7 hits between both teams, 3 of the 3 of the hits were provided by SS-Boston Vest with a multiple 2 hit night with 2 runs scored and C-Ridge Erickson with one hit and one run, but it was Lea who kept the Vikings off balance all night, facing only two over the minimum at 23 hitters. Erickson once again threw out two runners, with a CS of second base and another game changing play, as he once again picked off a runner at 2B, that strayed a little too far and the BYU signee put on another catching clinic with numerous block and recoveries and keeping runners at a stand still on their bases. Final Score: Dixie 3 Pleasant Grove 0
Social Media Coverage
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Cayman Sanchez SS / RHP / Olympus, UT / 2026Rankings StateRank: 12 / POS: 2
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Jaxon Fox SS / C / Olympus, UT / 2024
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Luke (LT) Taylor C / 3B / Olympus, UT / 2024
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Easton Davies RHP / OF / Orem , UT / 2024
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Mason Henry RHP / 1B / Pleasant Grove, UT / 2026
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RJ Wilson SS / RHP / Pleasant Grove , UT / 2025Rankings StateRank: 8 / POS: 2
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Cache Poulson C / OF / American Fork, UT / 2026
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Jett Walker SS / 2B / American Fork, UT / 2024Rankings StateRank: 14 / POS: 2
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Garrett Downing OF / 2B / Corner Canyon, UT / 2026Rankings StateRank: 13 / POS: 3
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CJ Mascaro OF / LHP / American Fork , UT / 2025
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Ike Pickle 3B / 2B / Skyridge, UT / 2024Rankings StateRank: 26 / POS: 2
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Beckham Stanger RHP / 1B / Woods Cross, UT / 2026
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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.