Opening Day is a little less than 3 weeks away. Jeff Scholzen (Utah Scouting Director) jumps in to the 2025 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 of weeks and leading up to opening day, we will be highlighting some of the top programs in the state with our team previews.

As our ardent readers are aware, Team Previews are answered by the Head Coaches of those programs and the scouting reports embedded in the PBR player profiles of the top players, are written by state scouting director Jeff Scholzen, the states only full-time MLB Area Scouting supervisor ever. 

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This season as in every past season, stats are collected across the state at the end of that week's play, with input from coaches, assistant coaches and ultimately myself in putting together comprehensive player content on a weekly basis with the following. 

1. Weekly Utah Power 20 Overall Team Rankings (Monday)

2. Player and Pitcher of the Week, along with other notable player performances (Tuesday)

3. Player Spotlights throughout the spring of top players who are making their mark on the HS scene in capturing college recruiting looks. 

4. I will be scouting games throughout the Southern Utah area and Grant Scholzen will be covering Salt Lake and Utah County areas as a video scout and posting player videos on X/Twitter for college marketing purposes on a weekly basis. 

Quick Footnote: Only 7% of all HS baseball players will play college baseball and the elite of that group, which consists of only 2% will play at the D1 level. These are the players I’m watching and gleaning information on. This is determined by objective data from events, as well as the subjective eye evaluations, honed from my 30 years at the college and professional level. 

Maple Mountain by the numbers

Head Coach:  Jeremy Thomas (3rd Year)

Classification: 5A

Region: 7

2024 Win-Loss: 28-4

State Playoff appearances in last 10 years:  8

State Championship appearances last 10 years: 4

State Championships last 10 years: 1 ~2024 5A State Champions

2025 Preseason PBR Ranking: 2

Key Returners with Grade/Class/Position

Chase Johnston Spotlight

Photo, Name, Stats, Rankings, Etc.

Cole Erickson - 2025/OF-RHP

Hayden Hyatt - 2026, MIF-RHP

Cayden Giles - 2026, OF-RHP

Nash Ferguson - 2026, OF

Lincoln Beenfield - 2026, MIF

Key players lost to graduation

Bennett Averett, RHP/OF (USU - Eastern)

Colby Warren, RHP (Barton College)

Max Walker, RHP

Blake Carter, RHP (College of Southern Idaho)

Braiden Catterson

Who is your X-Factor to your Success

Maple Mountain returns 6 returning varsity starters, 4 of which are currently committed to play at the next level, with several more that have options to play. The Maple Mountain incoming 2028 class is full of talent including 15U Team USA member Jeremiah Hall that looks to anchor an already deep lineup. Multiple other underclass also look to contribute this year as Maple Mountain looks to repeat a 5A state championship in 2025.

Players who graduated in 2021-2024 and are now playing college baseball or "Committed"

Jackson Hollingshaus (BYU)

Blake Carter (CSI)

Colby Warren (USU-Eastern)

Bennett Averett (USU-Eastern)

Jake Roscher (Mount St. Mary's)

Players who have college baseball potential

Chase Johnston

AJ Thomas

Sawyer Leifson

Cole Erickson

Cy Chrisman

Lincoln Beenfield

Hayden Hyatt

Cayden Giles

Nash Ferguson

Jeremiah Hall

List the names of returning players who were named All-Region / All-State and their graduation year (Please specify either award or both awards)

AJ Thomas (5A Tournament MVP, 1st Team All State & All-Region)

Chase Johnston (1st Team All-State & All-Region)

Cy Chrisman (1st Team All-State & All-Region)

Sawyer Leifson (All Region)

Please provide a summary of your teams outlook and preview to your upcoming season (Please be as thorough as possible, as this will used in a potential content article preview of your team)

The Maple Mountain Golden Eagles enter the 2025 season with high expectations, look to defend their titles as the 2024 5A State Champions and Region 7 Champions.

After an unforgettable 2024 campaign which aimed to build on their success with a combination of returning and new talent.

Key Players to watch:

AJ Thomas: The senior shortstop/catcher is known for his stellar defensive plays, consistent bat and ability to get on base. Thomas’s experience and poise in pressure situations make him a cornerstone for the team’s success.

Chase Johnston: The ace of the pitching staff, Johnston is poised for another dominant season on the mound. With a fastball that touches the low-90s and a devastating curveball, he’ll be a nightmare for opposing hitters. Johnston's leadership in the rotation will be crucial as the Golden Eagles try to repeat.

Cy Chrisman: The team’s power hitter and offensive catalyst, Chrisman brings a mix of strength and discipline to the plate. His ability to drive in runs and change the momentum of games with a single swing will be a major factor in the Golden Eagles’ success this season.

Sawyer Leifson: A utility player that can play virtually anywhere on the field. Will bring 3 years of varsity experience and leadership to the team and contribute to the Golden Eagles success.

-- Head Coach, Jeremy Thomas

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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.

2019 (14th Rd) draft pick, RHP-Paxton Schultz from Utah Valley U, is currently in AAA (Buffalo Bisons) with the Toronto Blue Jays, and former 40 man Brewers rostered RHP (Utah Tech) Dylan File, just recently signed a AAA contract with the Seattle Mariners.

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 2002. 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 28, Miranda 25, McKenzie 23 and the couples only son, Grant Scholzen 19, played 2B/3B at D1 WCC school, the U of the Pacific (Pacific Tigers) on scholarship, in 2024 and transferred to Salt Lake CC.

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 9 years. Between both families, Jeff has 3 grandchildren and 5 step grandchildren (8 total). 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.