Prep Baseball Report

Utah HS Players and Pitcher of the Week


Jeff Scholzen
Utah Scouting Director

Players of the Week

Petey Soto Jr. SS / OF / Crimson Cliffs , UT / 2023

 

 Commitment: Dixie State U

Stats for the Week of March 14-19

G 4 AB 19 R 12 H 9 HR 1 RBI 9 2B 2 3B 1 BB 2 SB 1

The Dixie State commit is one of, if not the smoothest defender in the state, regardless of class. Have seen him play since he was 10 years old. Gifted with dancy, educated feet and plus movement patterns to allow for his glove to be in the right place at the right time. Also can play CF, and shows off a avg arm at 86 from the OF and 77 from the INF, though he doesn’t sell out for metrics, but just plays catch and throws K’s in all directions. Able to throw from multiple arm slots and do it EZ. From the plate, Soto has a quick twitch well synced up hitting stroke with good use of his lower ½ and looks the part of a young Francisco Lindor. An fringe to avg runner at 7.06 in the 60, yet his lateral quickness at SS, belies a player that moves within a circle of range, rather than a straight line runner. With an additional 15-20 lbs at maturity, this kid has a very high ceiling. 

2021 Future Games Alum

Trey Evans OF / SS / Crimson Cliffs , UT / 2024

 

Uncommitted

Stats for the Week of March 14-19

G 4 AB 13 R 7 H 7 HR 2 RBI 10 2B 2 SB 4

One of the top 2 hitters in the class presently, Evans garnered 1st Team All-Region and 1st Team All-State honors as a freshman hitting in the 3 hole. A PBR Future Games alum, who will make his way back to LakePoint again this July and already has a D1 power 5 offer in hand. Blessed with a fast bat and an EV high of 100.1, to go along with hand and bat speed metrics of 23.1 and 73.2. Evans generates torque and leverage in his swing and with a slight uphill approach he can send balls deep and out of the park to the pull side as he hit 4 HR’s with 14 2B’s as a freshman. Relegated to LF as a defender and arm/speed wise, what separates Evans from others is an elite bat that should contend for player of the year honors before his HS career is over. 

2021 Future Games Alum

2022 Future Games Invite

Luke Iverson C / SS / Pine View, UT / 2022

 

 Commitment: Utah Valley U

Stats for the Week of March 14-19

G 4 AB 12 R 5 H 8 HR 2 RBI 6 3B 1 BB 1

Iverson is an athletic small catcher that plays bigger than his size would indicate. Quick twitched and very mobile with agility and wiry strength, a “Black Belt” in karate, he is able to use that flexibility and athleticism, while putting to use on the field. A switch hitting catcher that is also a 4.0 student with a 30 ACT, Luke is a coach's dream academically. But on the field, Iverson shows some advanced skills behind the plate, with the ability to catch velocity and frames and stick pitches. Additionally he shows the ability to block and quick to drop and recover and gets out of the box quick on balls in front. The thing that catches your eye, is an eye popping plus arm with clothesline accuracy, while putting his throws on the money. Luke is a mirror from both sides of the plate, as he brings his front side back and into his back side and then loads the bat and gets momentum coming forward with a compact quick store, as he stays inside the baseball and finishes with a one hand and two hand finish, depending on swing location. Iverson had two 2B’s in game action from the left side of the plate and worked well with pitchers, showing leadership qualities!

2021 West Coast Games Alum

Cameron Nielson RHP / SS / Cottonwood, UT / 2023

 

 Commitment: Utah

Stats for the Week of March 14-19

G 6 AB 19 R 7 H 11 HR 2 RBI 10 2B 2 BB 1 SO 1

The U Utah commit, and PBR Future Games alum, has a strong hitting profile and emerging pitch arsenal on the mound. The projected ace of the staff this spring at Cottonwood, Nielsen should make a loud statement on both sides of the ball this spring. With an EV range over the past 6 months of 96-99 mph, Nielsen can get long in his swing, but possesses hand and bat speed to handle velocity. An efficient and consistent defender at SS, Nielsen posted an event best, 87 mph arm across the INF, and look for his arm to creep into the low 90’s over the next two seasons. On the mound, Cam has touched 89 mph with the FB at the PBR West Coast Games last August, which was a 5-8 mph range increase from this time a year ago. In the low to mid 80’s at the Preseason All-State, is a valid range for coming out of the snow and cold weather of northern Utah, as he works his arm into mid season form in the coming weeks as the HS season unfolds. At 170 lbs, Nielson has the frame to add another 20 lbs over the next few years, and as he reaches his man strength, look for Nielson to make his biggest mark from the pitching rubber, as his FB should creep into the low 90’s FB in the near future.

2021 PBR Future Games Alum

2021 PBR West Coast Games Alum 

Naulivou Lauaki Jr. RHP / 1B / Springville, UT / 2024

 

Uncommitted

Stats for the Week of March 14-19

G 4 AB 13 R 4 H 8 HR 2 RBI 7 2B 2

A BIG DUDE, that looks the part of a football player, and is physically imposing for a kid his age. Right now the jury is out on whether he stays a hitter or lands on the mound. As a hitter, with hand and bat speeds of 25.2 and 73.7, Lauaki showed an EV of 94.6 and drove a few out of the park with a distance max of 379’. The ball jumps with a slightly elevated path, giving him NOW power and projectable plus raw power down the road. On the mound the FB 87-90 looks to be a low 90’s or better tool, as he has 3 years of HS ahead of him. As long as he doesn’t get any bigger and can maintain what he is now physically and allow his man strength to kick in, he could be a force to be reckoned with, in Utah HS baseball.

2022 Future Games Invite

Pitcher of the Week

Payton Gubler SS / RHP / Desert Hills, UT / 2022

 

 Commitment: Brigham Young U

Stats for the Week of March 14-19

IP 4.2 H 4 R 1 ER 0 BB 1 SO 10

With Scouts in attendance, Gubler's FB touched 96 mph!

Gubler made his way to Chicago for the Super 60 and didn't disappoint or let the moment get too big. Gubler displayed his two way ability in the box and on the mound, but it was on the mound that Gubler's star shone bright. As a hitter, the ball was struck consistently hard and on the barrel, with hard LD's and a fast bat. At SS, Gubler showed lateral agility and quickness to stay on the dirt and picked balls clean, with 91 mph bullets across the diamond. On the mound, is where Payton's star was the brightest. Showing near flawless timing in his delivery via ProPlayAI's biomechanical pitching breakdown, Gubler was firm with 3 pitches, as he showed a clean, quick HTQ arm stroke with solid finish and direction down and through foot strike. The ball exited clean out of the hand, with FB's 92-94 and sat comfortably at 93 with a fair movement profile. The SL 83-86 is a weapon, that varies between 2400-2600+ spin. The shape and depth can vary, as the pitch reacts like a hard TQ cutter and at times, when he catches it right, he can bury it like a hard pwr CB. The CH 85-87 is a new pitch in his arsenal, and it was nasty at times, as the catcher mentioned, he had a hard time catching it, with the amount of run and sink it displayed. The pitch was thrown with FB arm speed and deception, while killing spin and letting gravity take over. Showed the makings of 3 avg to plus pitches and will be heavily scouted come spring. 

2022 PBR Super 60 Alum

Other Notable Performances

 

Commitment: U of the Pacific 
G 4 AB 12 R 1 H 7 RBI 4 3B 1 BB 4 SB 2 
G 4 AB 14 R 6 H 9 HR 1 RBI 6 3B 2 
G 5 AB 17 R 3 H 8 RBI 5 BB 3
G 5 AB 21 R 8 H 9 HR 1 RBI 6 2B 2 BB 2 SO 2
Commitment: TCU
G 4 AB 15 R 5 H 7 RBI 1 2B 1 BB 1 SO 3 
Commitment: Utah
G 4 AB 12 R 5 H 7 HR 1 RBI 2 2B 3 BB 2 SO 3
 

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