Utah Players of the Week: Reed, Harrison

Haigen Reed OF / RHP / Desert Hills, UT / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 4 / POS: 1 OverallRank: 467 / POS: 85 UNCOMMITTED Stat Line: March 18-24 G 4 AB 15 R 9 H 8 HR 1 RBI 9 2B 2 BB 4 SO 3 2024 Current Stats: G 15 AB 54 R 23 20 AVG .513 HR 6 RBI 28 2B 2 3B 1 BB 14 SO 11 SB 6 8/09/23 West Coast Games The surprise position player of the event for me! After posting a .400 BA as a sophomore this past spring, Reed flew under my radar for a myriad of reasons, but after attending the CBA Scout Day, he caught my attention with an EV of 100.8 and his ability to square up the baseball and find the sweet spot. Built like a ball player w/strong well defined features and a strong lower ½ that he utilizes well in his swing. The body shows rhythm and timing as he gets his hands into the proper position to load the bat, in getting to a solid 45 and then sinks into his legs and shows plus bat speed in firing his lower ½ and core, to get the knob inside the baseball. Shows barrel release and acceleration through contact into a firm front side and stays behind the baseball to get his hands extended and looks to do damage with violent intentions. At the WCG’s, Reed went off at the plate and finished the 3 games 7-9 with 5 2B’s and a 3B while creating energy and anticipation when he stepped into the box, that something was about to happen! The only 2025 on the roster, and he played well beyond his age class in performance and how he carried himself and went about his business. Reed also turned in an 84 mph OF arm velo and one that I can see making the jump near 90 in the next couple of years. Plays hard and was aggressive on the bases and looked for the extra base hit out of the box. A definite name to follow in the state over the next 2 years and one that excited me enough to place at #6 in our next 2025 state rankings release after his showing in Las Vegas. Definitely a D1 bat moving forward! Video Embed

Ryder Harrison OF / 1B / Snow Canyon, UT / 2024 Stat Line: March 18-24 G 6 AB 17 R 7 H 10 HR 0 RBI 9 2B 2 3B 2 BB 3 SO 0 2024 Current Stats: G 13 AB 48 R 11 H 16 AVG .432 HR 1 RBI 14 2B 3 3B 2 BB 9 SO 4 8/09/23 West Coast Games One of the best pure swings and bats in the state, regardless of class. Ryder took a controlled professional round of BP and shot balls into the RCF gap one after the other. Harrison had a breakout junior year at Snow Canyon, as he was the impact LH bat that complimented a RH dominant junior class that will see as many as 5 position players that should make the leap to the college level. Harrison hit .400 this past spring with 7 HR’s, 28 RBI and 11 2B’s. However he was “Mr. Clutch” on three different occasions as he walked off opponents twice in region play in the last ½ of the 7th inning with 2 long HR’s, with one that broke a 0-0 tie at home vs Pine View in front of 2 different hostile crowds. The biggest blow was his 3rd walk off homer of the season, with the Warriors down 2-1 in the opening game of the 4A state tourney, Harrison hit one of the only opposite field (LF) HR’s by a LHH at BYU that I can remember. It was crushed vs a 90 mph college prospect arm and sent players and fans into a frenzy with a 3-2 victory and propelled the Warriors into the winners bracket throughout. A short compact build with short arms, that allows for a short, compact fluid stroke, that is repeatable and finds the barrel often! The pitch and zone recognition is advanced for a HS hitter as Harrison controlled the zone with 23 BB vs 9 K outs for a .543 OB% on the season. Not afraid to work a count and see a pitcher's arsenal, Harrison recognizes spin and can control his lower ½ to stay back and do damage. The one area of weakness is finding a position that he can be adequate at. A LF/1B profile, with a comfort level in LF, is where he finds himself currently, and with a strong mentor to teach the nuances of the position, Harrison should be fine, as the bat is the calling card. The bat definitely is a D1 bat, but he handles wood just as well as metal and should at least find himself at a national level JC program at minimum.

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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.