Utah Players of the Week: Layton, Lyon, Potter, Decker
April 9, 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 which gets the nod, two awards for that category may be given..
We also highlight those that just fell short within our weekly 'Diamond Notes' article, where you can learn more about the standout names across the UHSAA.
NOTE: These submissions were provided from high school coaches from around our state.
If you are a coach and interested in nominating a player, please contact Jeff Scholzen ([email protected]).
Player of the Week
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Miles Layton RHP / Brighton , UT / 2025Rankings StateRank: 30 / POS: 9
UNCOMMITTED State Line: IP 5 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 0 SO 8 Perfect Game! '24 Current Stats: IP 15.1 H 13 R 7 ER 5 BB 7 SO 21 The epitome of a command pitcher, that shows an understanding of what he’s doing on the mound. At the Future Games, he was as high as 84-85 over the summer and works corners and keeps hitters off balance at 84-88 now, with a big breaking CB and deceptive fading CH with late sink. The delivery is sound and simple with a flexible high kick to delivery and breaks over the rubber and gets his arm up and into the throwing position at a flat foot strike. The arm action is clean and crisp from a HTQ slot and gets good extension out front into a ¾ finish out front. A great teammate, who is always into the game and pays attention to what is going on and is eager to learn and has a passion for the game. |
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Holden Potter RHP / Bear River, UT / 2025UNCOMMITTED Stat Line: IP 7 H 1 R 0 ER 0 BB 0 SO 10 '24 Current Stats: G 4 W 2 L 0 ERA 0.00 IP 26 H 14 R 6 ER 0 BB 5 SO 31 𝑼𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 🔦 — Prep Baseball Utah (@PrepBaseballUT) March 28, 2024 ">
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Andrew Lyon RHP / Snow Canyon, UT / 2025Rankings State Rank: 28 / POS: 8
UNCOMMITTED Stat Line: IP 6 H 2 R 1 ER 1 BB 4 SO 11 7/20/23 The son of former MLB pitcher, Brandon Lyon and the younger brother of Isaac Lyon, who is a rising sophomore at Grand Canyon U. With these types of bloodlines, one would expect Andrew has picked up a thing or two about pitching. A former neighbor of Jeff Scholzen, Andrew grew up and continues to be around a plethora of next level players in his community, with over A DOZEN, current college commits and college baseball players. Andrew will be in the PBR Future Games, and receive attention no doubt, with his 6-3 190 ideal size and assortment of pitches. A controlled tall and fall delivery with a flexible high kick to his delivery, Lyon gets the ball out of the glove clean and is fluid through the slot with ext out front. The FB registered 85-88 at the Top Prospect games and his best secondary pitch was his father’s as well, that being a avg to solid avg CH 77 that shows promise to play plus in time, as his velocity climbs and the separation becomes more apparent with the FB/CH combo. The CH shows FB arm speed and deception, along with fading sink life and is able to kill the spin and create depth at the end. Keep an eye out for this kid, as he shows definite D1 potential with added development physically and arm strength wise. |
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Andy Decker LHP / Mountain Ridge, UT / 2024UNCOMMITTED State Line: IP 5 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 1 SO 13 NO-HITTER! |
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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.