Utah HS Team Preview: Orem HS

        

Opening Day is TODAY and rosters are set. The Utah High School Activities Association has announced that opening day of the 2022 season will commence on Tuesday March 7th. The PBR Utah staff begins its 2022 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 weeks and leading up to opening day, we will be highlighting some of the top programs in the state in our team previews. 

PBR Utah will also be publishing its state Power 25 rankings that will be updated every Monday once the season begins. Throughout the season, PBR Utah will be pumping out coverage, highlighting individual players, games, rankings, scouting reports and nominating a player of the week. PBR Utah looks forward to getting out there this spring to see some great baseball. 

We now break down the Tigers with our team capsule below:

The Tigers are primed for another banner season as they have a handful of juniors and an elite sophomore arm that look to mesh and play well together not only this year, but in 2023 as well. 

It starts on the mound, where they have one of the better one, two left/right combos in the state!

• 2024 Easton Davies, RHP and an Arizona State commit, came out of the pen a year ago as a freshman, and captured 2nd Team All-Region honors. Davies has a live arm and can pump FB’s from 86-90 mph and has touched 91 last summer/fall. At 6-2 180, he is oozing with projection. Davies has the type of arm that should be pumping FB’s in the mid 90’s. One thing to look for with Davies, is he has been having some issues with his throwing shoulder since late fall and may not be quite 100% healthy heading into the first couple of weeks to the season. But if healthy, he has dominant stuff for the HS level. 

• 2023 Luke Kimmel, LHP. Though having a slight build, can fire his FB in the mid to upper 80’s and has a big controlled CB that gets swing/misses. It’s the type that hitters give up on and he can land it for strikes and bury below the zone. He can change shapes and axis points to the pitch with downed type and sweeping action and it gives hitters fits. Kimmel committed to Utah Valley U, a couple of miles down the road, this last December. Look for Davies and Kimmel to give the edge to the Tigers in two of the three games as well in region 8 play. 

Orem Tigers by the Numbers:

Head Coach: Carl Hermansen (9th Year at Orem)

State Classification/Region: 5A / Region 8

Last Year's Record: 21-11

Number of State Tourney Appearance in last 10 Years: 8

Number of State Titles games in the last 10 Years: 1

Number of State Titles in the last 10 Years: 0

• 2021 Region 7 Runner Up and the 2nd best record in 5A

Top Returning Players: 

• 2023 Luke Kimmel, LHP (Utah Valley commit)

• 2023 Sawyer Slade, C 

• 2024 Easton Davies, RHP/OF (Arizona State U commit)

• 2023 Cohen Strickland, MIF

• 2023 Cam Humphries, 3B

Who is your X-Factor?

15 guys playing for each other 

Young players who have College potential down the road

The first 7 players have attended PBR events. Thank you for your trust in the process and your desire to play at the next level!

• 2023 Luke Kimmel, LHP (Utah Valley commit) Played in the PBR Fall All-State Games and committed soon after, was recommended by Coach Hermansen and Easton Davies father!

• Easton Davies, RHP (Arizona State U commit) was invited to the Top Prospect Games last June and caught my attention. After the event, I invited Easton to be on Team Utah for the prestigious PBR Future Games in GA. I was inundated with calls for a month and soon after, Davies turned down offers from half a dozen or more Power 5 schools and made his selection to commit to the Arizona State Sun Devils in the PAC 12

2023 Cohen Strickland, MIF

2023 Cam Humphries, 3B

2023 Sawyer Slade, C

2024 Owen Miller, RHP

2024 Maddox Lamoreaux, MIF

2025 Blake Brotherson, RHP

Returning All-Region/All-State Players

(1st Team All-Region/HM All-State)

• 2023 Luke Kimmel, LHP

(1st Team All-Region)

• 2023 Sawyer Slade, C

(2nd Team All-Region)

• 2023 Cohen Strickland, MIF

• Easton Davies, RHP

Coaches Summary and Outlook
 

We return a very good group of kids that saw very significant innings for us last year. We are still pretty young considering we only have one senior on the roster. If we can blend the experience from last season, and the newcomers can perform as expected, we should put a very competitive team on the field. Great time to be a part of Utah baseball. A ton of great teams with some phenomenal players around the state!

— Coach Carl Hermansen

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