Week 5 (April 5-10) Player and Pitcher of the Week

Gage Easton C / Lone Peak, UT / 2021

The Senior catcher and leading hitter for a Power 20 program is having a great year with the bat and is UNCOMMITTED and schools need to jumps on this kid as he can hit and frames and receives well behind the dish. 

Stats for the Week:

G 3 AB 11 R 2 H 5 HR 2 RBI 4 2B 1 

Stats for the Year:

G 10 AB 33 R 3 (Speed up rule) H 17 AVG .515 HR 3 RBI 14 2B 6 3B 1 BB 5 SO 3

Daxon Swenson SS / 2B / Bingham, UT / 2021

Swenson the athletic and twitchy SS and the son of former Bingham and Utah star, Sam Swenson (Angels), is a Utah commit and has started slow, but has been re-igniting his game of late. A key piece for the 5-4 Miners, as they look to find their groove and get on a role. 

Stats for the Week:

G 1 AB 2 R 2 H 2 RBI 2 BB 4 (On base all 4 times last week)

Cole DeCastro SS / 2B / Desert Hills , UT / 2023

UNCOMMITTED - After starting the year, earning a spot, DeCastro has caught fire. With his bat taking off, he has won a MIF starting spot, as he plays 2B when Payton Gubler a BYU commit is at SS, and when Gubler is on the mound, he starts at SS. Hitting lower in the lineup, and with the bat to hit at the top of the lineup, Cole will be a steady force for the next couple of years. 

Stats for the Week:

G 2 AB 5 R 1 H 3 RBI 1 2B 1 

Derek Houston 3B / C / Kanab, UT / 2021

UNCOMMITTED - The athletic and looks the part middle of the order hitter, has had a D2 school reach out to me about him, and he definitely has next level college ability, from a really small 2A program. With a tall, lean and strong build, Houston is a natural 3B, and can play RF and take a turn behind the plate as well. The receiving needs some work, but the tool that jumps out is an above avg throwing arm, that has velocity, carry and clothesline type accuracy. The bat is an all fields approach and he steadily makes contact. His father was a standout college player in his playing days. 

Stats for the Week:

G 3 AB 13 R 4 H 7 RBI 6 2B 2 3B 1 SB 1

Stats for the Year:

G 14 AB 38 R 17 H 17 AVG .447 HR 1 RBI 15 2B 3 3B 4 BB 2 SO 2 SB 4

Cayden Clark OF / RHP / Stansbury , UT / 2021

The Dixie State commit - is one of the top 3 hitters in the '21 class, and will be in the running for state player of the year consideration at years end. Having a big year with the bat and steadily producing each and every week. Has tools and shows the ability to square up the baseball, hit for power and can run, as he has 11 stolen bases, and ran a 6.69 laser timed 60 at the Preseason All-State on March 6th. The force in the middle of the lineup for the 14-3 Stallions, who are ranked in the top 10 of the PBR Utah Power 20 rankings. 

Stats for the Week:

G 2 AB 6 R 3 H 3 HR 1 RBI 4 2B 1 SB 1

Stats for the Year:

G 17 AB 51 R 27 H 23 AVG .451 HR 4 RBI 28 2B 6 BB 11 SO 6 SB 11

Ty Johnsen C / Pleasant Grove, UT / 2021

Another solid game for the Gonzaga commit, as he has been the force in the middle of the lineup for the undefeated 10-0 Vikings as the #3 ranked team in the state Power 20 rankings. 

Stats for the Week:

G 1 AB 4 R 1 H 3 RBI 4 2B 2 3B 1

Stats for the Year:

G 10 AB 30 R 5 (Speed up rule) H 15 AVG .500 HR 3 RBI 15 2B 3 3B 1 BB 8 SO 6 

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

The BYU commit - had a really good week on both sides of the ball, and on the mound as well. in game 1 of the game(s) of the week vs Snow Canyon, in a matchup of the top 2 ranked teams in the state, Gubler hit the go ahead solo HR in the top of the 7th and then closed out the bottom of the 7th, striking out the 3 hitters he faced to earn the win. In game 2, Gubler started on the mound and took a tough 2-0 loss as he walked 2 and struck out 7, while scattering 3 hits over 5 inns of work. 

Stats for the Week:

G 2 AB 6 R 1 H 2 HR 1 RBI 2

APP 2 W 1 L 1 IP 6 H 3 R 2 ER 0 BB 2 SO 10

Dalin Ludlow SS / RHP / Juab, UT / 2021

Ludlow the Minot State signee, had a big week at the plate and on the mound, as he continues to be the leader and force of the 14-1 top 10 ranked Juab Wasps in the Power 20 rankings. The leader in the clubhouse for me, and odds on favorite for 3A Player of the Year.

Stats for the Week:

G 1 AB 4 R 1 H 3 RBI 2 2B 2 SB

IP 5 H 3 R 0 ER 0 BB 4 SO 8

Stats for the Year:

G 15 AB 53 R 20 H 23 AVG .434 HR 1 RBI 23 2B 4 3B 1 BB 7 SO 6 SB 18

APP 11 W 4 L 0 ERA 0.43 IP 32.1 H 16 R 6 ER 2 BB 11 SO 51

Cameron Day RHP / 1B / Layton, UT / 2021

PBR SUPER 60 Participant

 The U Utah commit and potential MLB draft pick, Day did the next to the impossible in his lone outing of the week, and that was, pitching a Perfect Game. In the 6 inning 10 run rule game, the fire balling RHP, sat down 18 hitters in a row. 

PERFECT GAME

Stats for the Week:

IP 6 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 0 SO 9 

Stats for the Year:

APP 7 W 4 L 0 ERA 0.26 IP 26.2 H 16 R 7 ER 1 BB 4 SO 50

Ashton Johnson LHP / OF / Olympus , UT / 2022

The 3 time Pitcher of the Week, and UNCOMMITTED, could have easily taken home the honors for the 4th time, but a Perfect Game took over this week by Cameron Day. In his 5 starts this year, Johnson threw his 4th SHO of the year, and is putting up ridiculous numbers for the 13-0 and top 10 ranked Olympus Titans in the Power 20 rankings. With colleges reaching out, a home will be found this coming summer, and colleges need to take notice of the kid with the 82-85 mph FB, that although not overpowering, it just is this simple...he has above avg command and throw K's at will and just doesn't get hit!

Stats for the Week:

IP 7 H 4 R 0 ER 0 BB 0 SO 10

Stats for the Year:

IP 33 H 11 R 1 ER 1 BB 2 SO 57

Jaiven Ross LHP / 1B / Crimson Cliffs, UT / 2023

The tall lanky LH'er with the sneaky 80-82 MPH FB, and big breaking CB, pitched 5 innings of a combined NO-HITTER and gave up one unearned run along the way with 3 BB and 8 strike outs.

Stats for the Week:

IP 5 H 0 R 1 ER 0 BB 3 SO 8 

Stats for the Year:

APP 4 W 1 L 1 ERA 1.84 IP 19 H 7 R 9 ER 5 BB 11 SO 28

Janzen Keisel RHP / SS / Gunnison Valley, UT / 2021

PBR SUPER 60 Participant

Not much needs to be said about the small town kid with the big arm and the FB 91-95 that sits 91-93. Keisel the BYU signee has been laying waste to inferior competition at the 2A level, but trust me, he would be doing the same thing even at the 6A level as well. 

Stats for the Week:

IP 7 H 1 R 0 ER 0 BB 2 SO 18

Carston Herman LHP / OF / Snow Canyon , UT / 2021

In game 2, of last weeks matchup between the top 2 ranked teams in the state, it was all about the left arm of Carston Herman, who went out and missed bats at an alarming rate. The future Dixie State Trailblazer had 10 K’s through 4 innings with 12 after the 5th and 14 after the 6th. Smelling the finish line, Herman struck out the side in the 7th to complete the 2 hit 2-0 shutout with 2 walks and 17 strikeouts!

Stats for the Week:

IP 7 H 2 R 0 ER 0 BB 2 SO 17

Stats for the Year:

APP 6 W 4 L 1 ERA 1.50 IP 28 H 13 R 8 ER 6 BB 9 SO 54

Aidan Boice RHP / 1B / Skyline, UT / 2022

Boice the UNCOMMITTED tall lanky and projectable RHP with the big spike CB that has biting depth, to go along with a mid 80's FB, that can reach 87, had another stellar outing for the Power 20 ranked team in the state, and is having an All-State caliber season. 

Stats for the Week:

IP 7 H 1 R 0 ER 0 BB 1 SO 11

Jordan Pace RHP / 3B / Pleasant Grove, UT / 2021

The stocky RH'er turned in another stellar outing for the undefeated 10-0 and 3rd ranked team in the Power 20 rankings last week. Pace the owner of a mid to high 80's FB and overhand CB with depth, threw 5 innings of one hit shutout baseball in helping the Vikings remain unblemished. 

Stats for the Week:

IP 5 H 1 R 0 ER 0 BB 2 SO 7

 Stats for the Year:

APP 5 IP 21 H 13 R 3 ER 2 BB 6 SO 21