Utah HS Team Preview: Pleasant Grove HS

Utah HS Team Previews - Pleasant Grove Vikings

Opening Day is around the corner, try outs have been scheduled starting Feb 27th, and rosters are soon to be set. The Utah High School Activities Association has announced that opening day of the 2022 season will commence on Monday March 6th. Jeff Scholzen (Utah Scouting Director) begins the 2023 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. 

With data partners Trackman Baseball, the leaders in measuring the ball flight and its characteristics off the bat for position players and out of the hand for pitchers. No one does it better. Blast Motion captures key swing metrics in evaluating the efficiency of the swing and where a player's swing is good or bad and what needs to be worked on. Swift Performance measures power output as an athlete with the EZ jump mat and collecting not only the 60 yard dash, but the 10 and 30 yard dashes as well. 3M technology measures key pitching mechanics and how the delivery through the body moves in sequence to produce and provide a more effortless and efficient delivery. 

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 25 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 state and posting player videos on Twitter for college marketing purposes on a weekly basis and in some cases where action is flowing and games are staggered, such as the preseason tourneys down south on a daily 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. 

Pleasant Grove by the Numbers

Head Coach: Darrin Henry (11th Year) 

State Classification/Region: 6A / Region 4 Runner-Ups

Two Year Win-Loss Record: 

2022: 20-11

2021: 27-6 (6A State Runner-Ups)

Number of State Tourney Appearance in last 10 Years: 10

Number of State Titles games in the last 10 Years: 4

Number of State Titles in the last 10 Years: 2

Recent History 

The Pleasant Grove Vikings baseball program, is perennially one of the historic and successful teams year in and year out. It was built into a powerhouse decades ago, by legendary coach Jon Hoover, who would go on to establish the all-time wins record in state history, of which has now been eclipsed by current Timpanogos coach, Kim Nelson. But the tradition was built and wins established, along with region and state championships. Darrin Henry has kept the tradition alive and well, and then some. As you can see above, the Vikings have made the state tourney each of the last 10+ years, and played for four state titles, winning two, at the 5A level and then upon moving up to the 6A level as well.

The program produces college players at a high clip, with Vikings clocking in at #3 in the state as far as current or active players at the next level, falling behind American Fork with 15, Snow Canyon with 12 and the Vikings at 10. These are the college factories in the state and it can be attributed to evolving with today's recruiting climate, as well as embracing new ideas, but at the same time, having cultures established that want players to run through a wall for the high profile head coaches of these programs. 

Outlook

The Vikings return some high profile players at key positions, with some up and coming players that are ready to establish themselves, as well as a transfer catcher, that adds depth and maneuverability within the lineup defensively for coach Henry. It starts on the mound with the state’s #2 overall prospect in the 2023 class, and #1 pitcher in the state, RHP-Brayden Marx. Marx, as everyone that follows Prep Baseball Report in Utah and around the country, knows the low to mid 90’s FB and high CB/SL spin rates. Marx was a well established name within the PBR Network. Another established name is senior SS/CF-Ryker Schow. Schow will move to SS as a senior, after manning RF, CF and now SS over the past three years. Schow was a PBR Future Games alum, along with Marx, and after breaking out in the summer of 2021, committed soon thereafter with hometown BYU. The third Future Games alum, is C/OF/RHP, Tua Wolfgramm, another BYU commit, and breakout talent in 2022, as Tua is the state’s swiss army knife, as he is as athletic a catcher as you will find, and runs a 6.6/60, while registering 93 mph in the OF, and just recently touched the 90 mph mark in a recent bullpen. Those 3, along with an up and coming young cast of potential breakouts in their own right, the three highly tooled/skilled leaders with quality makeup and character, to go along with the culture and atmosphere that Coach Henry creates, has the Vikings eyeing another deep state playoff run, and if a surprise arm joins Marx and Wolfgramm on the mound, this club could see itself in the last game of the year, playing for all the marbles.   

Alumni Update: (Payton Henry-C 2016 6th Rd Pick - MLB Debut 9/17/2021)

Henry, the big league catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, and the most iconic name and talent that Pleasant Grove has developed since former Pleasant Grove catcher turned big league RHP, Jordan Smith who converted to pitching full time as a JUCO player at College of Southern Nevada in 2005. Smith is now the pitching coach for the Vikings. Henry was a 3-time 1st Team All-State catcher and led the Vikings to the 2015 5A state championship, while also capturing back to back Gatorade Players of the Year in 2015-2016. If you want a very interesting content piece to read and dive into, click the link below, top read Utah Scouting Director and then Brewers scout, Jeff Scholzen’s article on the scouting, drafting and signing of Henry, and the culmination to his big league call up to the Miami Marlins, before being traded back to his original club, the Brewers!

The Amateur Scouting of former Pleasant Grove Star - Payton Henry

Key Returners with Class/Position

Brayden Marx RHP / OF / Pleasant Grove, UT / 2023 Rankings  State Rank: 2 / POS: 1 Overall Rank: 128 / POS: 40   Committed: Hawai'i 2/05/23 SUPER 60 Report Marx has been a fixture at PBR invite only events before starting his sophomore year. The state’s #1 ranked player in the 2023 class, has been a staunch supporter of PBR Utah and dazzling at every event he’s attended, Marx has been a 2-time Preseason All-State attendee, along with being selected to the prestigious Future Games in Atlanta,GA at our state of the art LakePoint facility, as well as the West Coast Games in Las Vegas, NV. Marx has also attended the Top Prospect Games at his home school of Pleasant Grove. All these events were springboards to Brayden’s recruitment opportunities. In what was potentially his final act as a “PBR Kid”, Marx was exceptional under the bright lights of the Super 60, as his calm and focused demeanor were on display. Marx is also a Reds Area Code Game alum and is used to pitching in front of high profile decision makers. Marx has long been known for his CB/SL Trackman spin rates as he has reached a high of 2990 rpm’s at last summer's Top Prospect Games with his CB and took to a SL last spring and its spin has come to equal his CB. The FB that was 83-85 in March of 2021, when he was 5-11 160, has grown steadily with each passing year of HS, as he is a solidly built 6-0 185 and looks the part of a frontline next level arm. The FB now carries 90-94 with a T95, last June at the Area Code tryouts.  Marx as mentioned was lights out with the secondary pitches, but the FB was 90-93.5 and was firm! But the CB/SL combo was filthy. To give proper perspective of where the MLB avg spin rates are for the world’s best arms are, the avg MLB spin for a FB is 2300 rpm’s and Marx FB spin was 2408. The avg spin for a CB/SL is 2350-2450. Marx CB 75-77 was 2960 as the SL 78-80 was 2854, both well above average on the MLB scale. Marx CB/SL was the 2nd and 3rd best of the event, causing PBR Sr VP of Scouting and former 1st Rd pick Shooter Hunt to tab Marx as a “King of Spin!” 5/11/22 Marx recently committed to the U Hawaii on 5/29/22, but on this day in front of a big crowd, in a cross town marquee matchup for the 6A Region 4 title, Marx was on his “A” game as he K out 9 hitters over 6.1 IP and left in the 7th with his team up 4-1, before the bullpen gave up the lead. With 3 D1 recruiters in the ballpark and a half dozen scouts, to see American Fork ‘22 MLB draft hopeful, it was Marx who stole the show and put himself on the map with the scouts. The one college that was in attendance got what he was hoping for, as Hawaii left the park with a campus visit offered and a subsequent offer was made on the trip that was too good to pass up! Marx was in complete control over his 110 pitches, before having to leave the game due to the state pitch count max. The FB 88-92 was sneaky and played up as he was working the CB/SL combo in front and backwards counts. The CB 74-76 had ridiculous spin of 2750-2900! The SL 79-81 (2500-2618) baffled hitters and missed bats frequently. He didn’t throw one CH, though it’s a potential weapon, giving Marx a 4 pitch starters mix. I expect Marx to have a coming out party this summer with MLB scouts and solidify himself as the #1 arm in the state.

Ryker Schow OF / 2B / Pleasant Grove, UT / 2023 Rankings  State Rank: 12 / POS: 2   Committed: Brigham Young U 3/06/22 A BYU commit and All-Tournament team selection at last summer's PBR Future Games, Schow put himself on the map and shortly thereafter, committed to BYU, after receiving his offer prior to the Future Games. A strong game player, that’s metrics also translate to game play. A 6.97/60, which recorded a high of 6.84 at the Future games, but also plays well in game, as he takes aggressive tight turns around 1B, and looks for extra bases out of the box. An EV max of 95.6 should jump to 100 as he gains the 20 lbs his frame suggests handling. A product of the powerhouse Pleasant Grove program, Schow has a high baseball IQ and shows it in his actions and instincts on the field. Not a toolsy player, but what he is, is what recruiters like, and that's a baseball player that performs and stirs the drink for team success.   7/31/21 An All-Future Team recognition in LakePoint was well deserved, as he was the catalyst for Team Utah with an high contact 1 and 2 hitter in front of him, Schow would see runners on and double down on the focus and no moment got too big for him. After a 4-4 performance with 3 RBI in Game one, Schow notched 5 hits with 2 2B’s and made all the plays in RF, but it was a play with runners in scoring position playing CF, that he ranges into RCF and left his feet on a slide and made a very nice catch that prevented runs from scoring. Ryker drew interest from a couple of PAC 12 schools and a Big West school at the Future Games, along with a couple of in state offers in tow, Schow will have plenty of options to sort through, heading into his junior season

Tualau Wolfgramm C / OF / Pleasant Grove, UT / 2024 Rankings  State Rank: 5 / POS: 3   Committed: Brigham Young U 8/02/22 Dubbed the Swiss Army Knife by yours truly, Tua is a coach's dream as he can play all 3 OF spots, the MIF, and is his HS team's starting catcher, along with taking his strong right arm to the mound as well. A line to line hitter with left side pull power, Wolfgramm has cut his 60 time more than any player in the state from a 7.45 to an incredible 6.68, through diet, nutrition and tightening up his lean athletic build over the last year in the gym. This is almost unheard of, but he accomplished it with a relentless work ethic and high baseball IQ and passion for the game. Tua also displayed 1.93-2.06 pop times and squared balls up in BP for an outstanding showing in Atlanta. Not to be out done, Tua also showed a plus arm in the OF as he put up a 93 mph reading!! A team leader and instant plus personality in the dugout, make for a high caliber teammate and the club responds to his enthusiasm and energy. A very bright future lies ahead! 3/06/22 A young projectable catch and throw type catcher that has pop times in the 2.0-2.1 range, yet is accurate and has a fluid arm stroke. Built like the medium build catchers at the next level. Tua receives well and it won’t be long before he takes over the everyday catching duties as a junior in 2023. Blocked by upperclassmen at present, but definitely has next level potential. Also shows a fluid online hitting stroke w/some uphill at times, and the ball jumps off his bat with pull carry. A baseball rat that works hard and loves the game. Plays at powerhouse Pleasant Grove and gets quality coaching from a staff that sends players onto the next level. Keep an eye on this young man.

Hayden Zamboni 12/2023/1B

Key players lost to graduation 

Kaden Davis

Gage Trane

Conner Bancroft

Ty Caldwell

Luke Blake

Tate Lewis

Who is your X Factor to your success

Brayden Marx

Returning players who were named All-Region / All-State 

Brayden Marx - First Team All State

Ryker Schow - Second Team All State

Tua Wolfgramm - Second Team All State

(All three were first team all region 4)

Players who are now playing College Baseball from 2022

Kaden Davis, 3B (USU-Eastern)

Conner Bancroft, INF/RHP (USU-Eastern)

Tate Lewis, C/INF (Chandler-Gilbert CC)

List players you feel have college baseball potential*

Brayden Marx

Tua Wolfgramm

Ryker Schow

Hayden Zamboni

Hudson Banks - 11 Left Handed Pitcher 86 mph

Deagan Thayne -11 Catcher

Mason Henry -9 Pitcher 86mph

Van Haynie - 10 Pitcher 85 mph

Brad Farrer - 10 Catcher/3B

R.J. Wilson - 10  SS Left handed hitter

Keaton Nordick - 9 Pitcher / 3B

Hyrum Long - 10 Pitcher  85 mph

Nash Bennett - 10 outfielder

Coaches Summary and Outlook

Brayden Marx, Ryker Schow and Tua Wolfgramm are great leaders and some of the best players in the state at each of their positions.  They are our leaders and heartbeat of the team.  Along with those leaders, we have a talented group of young players who will have the opportunity to step up and perform to make our team complete.  We will be playing in the Red Rock tournament in St. George along with the National Classic in Anaheim, CA.  We are always excited to compete against the best teams around the Western United States.  We are thrilled to be in region 4 as we get to play against other great programs who will make us better and allow us to be tested in great games with electric atmospheres and talented players.

• Darrin Henry (Head Coach)

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