2025 Preseason All-State: Quick Hits ~ Infielders
February 27, 2025
This past Saturday, February 22nd, the Prep Baseball Utah staff hosted it's marquee showcase of the preseason with the annual Utah Preseason All-State at Crimson Cliffs HS, in Washington, Utah. This event continues to serve as the top preseason high school event in the State. This event featured 115 of the top prospects in the 2025 - 2028 classes and featured a strong crop of both committed and uncommitted upperclassmen, as well as several of the premier unsigned underclassmen ready to open their recruitment this upcoming summer.
Preseason All-State events allow top players in each region to showcase their offseason gains ahead of the high school season with an updated profile, completed with a new headshots, updated metrics through out tech partners TrackMan, Blast Motion, VALD Performance, Vizual Edge and more. These events also serve as identifiers for Invite-Only events in Utah such as the Preseason All-State, Top Prospect Games and Utah State Games, as well as national events such as the Future Games, Senior Future Games and West Coast Games.
The past few days, we broke down the top measurable data performers from the event with our Statistical Analysis, Positional Data Dive and Pitching Data Dive articles. Now, we will take a further in-depth look at some of the players in our "Quick Hits" breakdowns, starting withn the Infielders with the help of our tech partnerships, broke down below:
For complete event results, click here.
To register for the Utah Rising Stars ID (Apr. 12), click here.
Infielders (Magnificent Seven)
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Nathan Horstmann 3B / SS / Corner Canyon, UT / 2026Rankings StateRank: 7 / POS: 1
Scouting Report: 2/22/25 Positional Profile: 3B/SS One of my favs, not only in his class, but the state in general. An all around solid D1 mid-major prospect, with 2B's power to all fields and HR power with wood as well to the pull side. Plays a solid if unspectacular 3B and show arm strength. A Future Games alum. Body: 6-0, 183-pounds. Med to Lg frame with well props features and solid definition to his lower 1/2. Looks the part of a next level type prospect. Hit: RHH. Crouched even prop stance with his hands held high and cocked into his load Solid slightly uphill stroke with mostly a flatter bat path, to eleviate the swing and miss. 72.6 mph bat speed with 12 G's of rotational acceleration. Power: 99 max exit velocity, averaged 81.2 mph. 328' max distance. All fields 2B's power with LD carry and slight loft and shows pull side juice even with wood. The Power does and is starting to play in games. Arm: RH. INF-84 mph. Loose EZ classic efficient arm stroke, that can throw from muliple arm angles. Defense: Instinctually sound player that shows a knack for making plays. Would like to see him mix in some 2B play in the summer to gauge his versatility ATH: 6.91 runner in the 60. Gliding runner with long strides and EZ gate at a 6.91/60 Vizual Edge: 76.4 Edge Score |
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Ricardo Navarro SS / 3B / Bryce Valley High, UT / 2026Scouting Report: 2/22/25 Positional Profile: SS/3B The native of Hermosillo, Sonora, MX, was the surprise find of the state a year ago, in his first Preseason All-State, and it earned Navarro a Future Games invite. Ricardo turned heads with a few programs, but schools want to see more to gain a track record. Power to straight away CF to the pull side, along with a flashy yet substance to get outs up the middle. A solid avg arm and engaging personality, make Navarro one of my favorites. Body: 5-7, 172-pounds. Small compact frame with strength thruout. Avg twitch Hit: RHH. An uptight narrow base from an open stance. Hands held high at a 45 and flatter plane over his back shoulder Tucks the front knee inward a he coils back to square. Limited swing and miss with hard consistent contact. advanced bat. 74.5 mph bat speed with 4 G's of rotational acceleration. Power: 99 max exit velocity, averaged 94.2 mph. 388' max distance. For a little guy, he can juice the ball and is always in the top 5 max distance leaders. hard Ld's to all fields loft power to the pull side with solid avg raw power. Arm: RH. INF-83 mph. Has a quick fluid strong arm with accuracy from all arm angles. Defense: Soft fluid hands like most Hispanic MIF'ers. Cn be acrobatic and shows natural flashy glove actions. Can also mke the play coming in while using the backhand. ATH: 7.27 runner in the 60. Has improved his running over the past 7 months and has shaved 2 tenths off. Heady and instinctive and will go 1st to 3rd. |
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Cruz Adams 3B / RHP / American Fork, UT / 2028Rankings StateRank: 8 / POS: 1
Scouting Report: 2/22/25 Positional Profile: 3B/RHP One of the TOP prospects in the '28 class! Really looking forward to following his progress Body: 6-2, 184-pounds. Lg lean athletic build w/present strength to uber physical at maturity Hit: RHH. Semi wide upright even prop stance Overstrides at present, causing backside to collapse. The path is slightly uphill w/some swing and mis at times. 73.9 mph bat speed with 10 G's of rotational acceleration. Power: 94 max exit velocity, averaged 92.0 mph. 368' max distance. Huge power for his age w/leverage and the ball jumps w/carry Arm: RH. INF-82 mph. At SS, he has an almost wind up to his throws, as if he was a pitcher. Avg arm strength now and chance for MLB above avg. Defense: Needs to bend more at the knees and waist, while getting down low to the ground with a flat back as your receiving the ball. ATH: 6.91 runner in the 60. Long fluid striding gate with twitch Vizual Edge: 68.87 Edge Score |
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Cy Chrisman 1B / 3B / Maple Mountain, UT / 2026Scouting Reports: 2/22/25 Committed: Oklahoma State Positional Profile: 1B/3B the TOP 2026 prospect in Utah ans #92 nationally. A former Future Games star, that took his BP to another level, as he did power wise at the West Coast ProCase. A Oklahoma State commit, that blends hit-ability with God given strength and big raw HR power. Body: 6-4, 216-pounds. What a big league 1B should look like. Big tall target with country boy strong features! Hit: RHH. Upright even prop square stance. Rocks back and slightly picks up the front foot and sets it down softly at foot strike. Gets elite separation and creates leverage worn his long arms and elite use of his strong lower 1/2 Flatter stroke to uphill at times when a pitch is elevated. Strong contact skills as a power hitter. Will lengthen out and take a no stride approach with 2 K's. Has a plan of attack 84.1 mph bat speed with 18 G's of rotational acceleration. Power: 104 max exit velocity, averaged 100.1 mph. 402' max distance. When he gets his pitch, he can destroy a baseball at EV's ranging from 103-106 with wood and metal. Hits'em high and deep worn driving range type backspin and big balloon type carry. Also can hit wicked short field, pull side HR's that get out in a hurry Arm: RH. INF-75 mph. Clean fluid arm stroke of 83 across the diamond. Arm works properly Defense: Big boy type target, much like Mark Trumbo. Clean hands and needs refinement to his use of his legs in his approach to the baseball. Small tweaks needed. Quick active hands ATH: 6.99 runner in the 60. Runs extremely well for a big physical corner INF at 6.99. Smart and heady. Not a base stealing threat, but one that can go 1st to 3rd and 1st to home on an extra base hit |
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Trigg Cloward SS / C / Spanish Fork, UT / 2028Rankings StateRank: 6 / POS: 3
Scouting Report: 2/22/25 Positional Profile: SS/C The #6 ranked player in the '28 class with bloodlines from his Father Casey was a starting catcher at BYU, uncle Bryce Searle was a RHP and 6'2. Grandpa was a catcher at BYU on the only CWS team in history at the Y in 1971. Body: 5-10 148-pounds. Small frame with room for another 25-30 Lbs at maturity and really believe with his athletic frame and well prop build, that he can reach this by the end of his HS career. Will eventually become a Lb for Lb strong young man. Currently wears a size 11 shoe, the projections are high % chance of happening! Hit: RHH. Semi-spread with a crouch into solid knee flexion. Holds the bat conventionally over his back shoulder a little flat and then rock a back into the launch position and gets solid load to foot strike separation. Flatter path and keeps the barrel in the zone a long time. Has a 75+% on-plane efficiency and has a fluid fast bat his size, development and class. 61.9 mph bat speed with 8 G's of rotational acceleration. Power: 86 max exit velocity, averaged 68.8 mph. 260' max distance. LD bat with back spin to the gaps and knows his limitations and what type of player he is. Arm: RH. C-71 mph. INF-74 mph. Quick fluid arm that works mechanically proper! Short quick and gets ext out front. Can see the arm taking off as he continues to develop physically and strength wise Defense: 1.98-2.01 pop times. Behind the plate, he's twitchy and athletic with an active lower 1/2 and shows quick advanced receiving skills. Let's the ball travel to him, rather than reaching. Been schooled in the fundamentals. Pop times of 1.98-2.01 suggest he can can repeat and is accurate to keep the spacing of the tenths of second one-off each other. As a MIF, he shows some natural flash that comes from graceful athletic movement patterns. The wrist is loose and the glove soft and the feet educated. ATH: 7.90 runner in the 60. Vizual Edge: 74.75 Edge Score |
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Ripken Roberts SS / 3B / Skyridge, UT / 2026Rankings StateRank: 9 / POS: 3
Scouting Report: 2/22/25 Positional Profile: SS/3B The #9 ranked player in the '26 Utah class, Roberts has visited a handful of D1 schools for invite prospect camps and has interest from a number. Bloodlines galore and I expect a big year this spring from Ripken! College coaches this is a name you need to remember! Body: 6-2, 172-pounds. Roberts has the classic 6-3 170 lean athletic frame with bloodlines of his father who was drafted 3 times and played at BYU/Cardinals. Brother Kai is 6-5 215 and is a 5 tool player. Runs a 6.4 and really took off frame and size wise in college. Late bloomer type candidate here! Hit: RHH. Bent over semi-crouched even prop stance. Loads the barrel with his hands and at times can get out of sequence with his hands loading and the timing of his front foot. Only gives credence to the projection here and family track record Flatter plane and keeps the barrel in the hitting zone. High contact and will swing through vs chase 69.7 mph bat speed with 7 G's of rotational acceleration. Power: 98 max exit velocity, averaged 82.1 mph. 295' max distance. Latent power is expected due to the movement patterns, athleticism and barrel control, suggests pull power is coming and all fields in college Arm: RH. INF-75 mph. Clean quick arm from SS. Arm works properly Defense: Educated feet and a loose wrist to soften the hands. Just figuring out his frame and the base is there to potentially stay in the dirt at 3B or an offensive tall 2B'man that can really run! ATH: 6.78 runner in the 60. Runs well for his size and only looks to improve as he fills and matures like his older brother Vizual Edge: 83.28 Edge Score |
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Cayman Sanchez SS / RHP / Davis, UT / 2026Rankings StateRank: 11 / POS: 5
Scouting Report: 2/2/25 Positional Profile: SS/RHP A staple at Prep Baseball Utah events. Sanchez is a former Future Games alum, who had a breakout year at the plate as sophomore at Olympus HS. Now at Davis HS and adds to a loaded team and will play SS. Surprising pop and can run and play defense, with the clock to play all 3 INF spots. Body: 5-9, 155-pounds. Small compact strong build with twitch and Lb for Lb strength Hit: RHH. Crouched semi open stance with a coil to the back side and gets the bat loaded into a compact locked and loaded position. Fires the know at the baseball and whips through contact. Fair chase help. Locks in for a good AB 66.4 mph bat speed with 13 G's of rotational acceleration. Power: 92 max exit velocity, averaged 87.4 mph. 30' max distance. Surprising pull side HR juice. Extra base hits are his game and can split the gaps in both directions. Arm: RH. INF-81 mph. Can throw avg for a SS, above for a 2B. The arm works properly and is accurate across the diamond Defense: Smooth hands and loose wrist, allow for soft hands. Makes the routine plays and comes in nicely with the ability to throw from multiple arm angles. ATH: 6.89 runner in the 60. Has really improved his 60 time nd has cut it from 7.1 to 6.89 and is an instinctive baserunner and will go 1st to 3rd and 1st to home on an extra base hit Vizual Edge: 83.86 Edge Score |
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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.
2019 (14th Rd) draft pick, RHP-Paxton Schultz from Utah Valley U, is currently in AAA (Buffalo Bisons) with the Toronto Blue Jays, and former 40 man Brewers rostered RHP (Utah Tech) Dylan File, just recently signed a AAA contract with the Seattle Mariners.
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 2002. 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 28, Miranda 25, McKenzie 23 and the couples only son, Grant Scholzen 19, played 2B/3B at D1 WCC school, the U of the Pacific (Pacific Tigers) on scholarship, in 2024 and transferred to Salt Lake CC.
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 9 years. Between both families, Jeff has 3 grandchildren and 5 step grandchildren (8 total). 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.