Easton Barrett LHP / OF / Springville, UT / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 2 / POS: 1 OverallRank: 432 / POS: 46 Committed: Arizona State  Stat Line: Week Two G 4 AB 11 R 6 H 7 HR 2 RBI 10 2B 2 BB 3 SB 2 Preseason All-State (2/24/24) The return of Barrett after 2.5 years in the system after his coming out party at the PBR Future Games in 2021, Barrett injured his arm and subsequently had Tommy John surgery by the Texas Rangers team physician late in the spring of 2023. Less than a year later and cleared for bullpens, Barrett made his return to the Prep Baseball stage and didn’t disappoint! Showing off his 3 pitch advanced mix with the FB/CB and CH, Easton showed a quiet repeatable delivery and still head to point the K zone with 87-90 mph FB’s after sitting 91-93 T94 pre-surgery. It’s not a question as to if he will reach pre-injury status, but when. The CB was sharp with TQ tilted snap depth and the CH showed arm side fade and considerable tailing life. If I was still scouting, this is the type of arm and athleticism I’m looking for after the 10th Rd to pay and send out, if medicals clear to be a steal in the 2024 MLB draft. Moxy, feel and pitch ability are intact with more velo to project and come, as he is far removed from his surgery date. Pre-injury this was a 2-3 rd type arm, that if sign-ability is there, he features the upside of former MLB LHP-Scott Kazmir!   Utah Player of the Week: March 11-17

Braxton Yates LHP / OF / Dixie , UT / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 18 / POS: 3 Committed: College of Southern Idaho Stat Line: Week Two (March 11-17) G AB 18 R 13 H 10 HR 3 RBI 11 2B 2 3B 3 SB 3  * (8 Extra Base Hits) * West Coast Games: June 17, 2023 The younger brother of a former Dodgers draft and Utah Valley RHP-Kayler Yates, who is coming into his own as a college prospect as well. Yates jumped on the scene this past spring at Dixie HS as a solid offensive player w/2B and 3B type extra base power and a lean athletic frame to build upon. A solid mover with long lanky movement patterns as a hustling instinctive defensive OF w/solid jumps and covers ground. A slasher type hitter that impacts the ball hard to the gaps and can carry the OF’ers for xtra bases. A quick hitting stroke that could find himself as a potential two way type at the JUCO level, but his LH arm is making a move to where he could be a very valuable piece in a quality JUCO program or D2 school. The delivery is an old school get into your legs and drive down the slope low to the ground ala an old school drop/drive type. The arm is quick and clean and gets good ext out front with a full finish and solid inline direction to the plate. The FB 83-87 jumps on hitters as he shows a late shoulder turn out front in hiding the baseball and creating deception in his delivery and release point. The CB has solid promise as he can sweep the breaking ball to LHH’s and creates a tough angle to get off good swings. It’s a S/M pitch. Can back door the breaking ball and also bury to RHH’s and gets a ton of swing over and miss action. The CH fades with deception and has heavy arm side run and gets late sink. Solid avg pitch that creates a 3 pitch mix that will be enticing for colleges to grab. Wouldn’t surprise me if he puts on another 10-15 Lbs by next spring if we don’t see some upper 80’s readings approaching 90 mph in the next 6-9 months. Keep a close eye on this kid as he comes from a baseball family with some intriguing bloodlines.  𝑺𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆 @ 𝑫𝒊𝒙𝒊𝒆 𝘋𝘪𝘹𝘪𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘛𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵@CSI_Baseball signee ~ @BraxtonYates14 2024 Braxton Yates, LHP, 6-2 190 (Dixie HS/CBA Summit) 2023 PBR West Coast Games The lanky lefty kept Springville off balance and minimized some early… pic.twitter.com/flA4G5GmIF — Prep Baseball Utah (@PrepBaseballUT) March 8, 2024

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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.