10 Players to watch in Utah high school baseball in 2015

Many new faces are on the mound and at the plate for Utah high school baseball teams this spring. A large number of last year's stars have graduated. Still, the cupboard is not bare in terms of talent.

Count on seeing these 10 players make a major impact in their regions and classifications in 2015.


Easton Walker, Pleasant Grove
Walker, a senior committed to BYU, was virtually unstoppable on the mound last spring. He pitched in 72 innings and racked up 99 strikeouts while posting a 0.97 ERA. Walker also did some damage at the plate, batting .415 with nine doubles and three home runs.

Sean Keating, Bingham (South Jordan)
Keating, a junior, is emerging as the Top 2016 prospect in Utah. The left-handed pitcher will help make the Miners' bullpen a force all season. He posted a 5-1 record as a sophomore, while striking out 49 batters in 36 innings and posting a 2.31 ERA.

Connor Udy, Box Elder (Brigham City)
Udy has a habit of excelling in every sport. He made a mark in the fall as a dual-threat quarterback and makes a name for himself in the spring as a potent and consistent hitter. Last season, Udy posted a .501 batting average and a .595 on base percentage to go along with 27 RBIs.

Wyatt Barrus, Grantsville
Barrus is the only returning starter for the defending Class 3A champions, but he's a good one to have back. He did a little bit of everything as a junior. Barrus posted a .517 batting average while tallying 12 doubles, six triples, eight home runs and 53 RBIs. On the mound, he went 9-2 in 61 innings pitched. Barrus had 67 strikeouts and threw five complete games.

Parker DePasquale, Bountiful
The defending Class 4A champions return the bulk of their pitching staff from last spring. DePasquale, a right-handed pitcher, headlines the group. As a junior, he posted an 8-2 record and a 1.23 ERA while leading the Braves to their first state title in 26 years.

Tevita Gerber, Cottonwood (Salt Lake City)
The Colts have a rich baseball tradition in Utah and Garber could help them add to it. He flourished on the mound as a junior. Garber pitched 43 innings and posted some impressive numbers along the way. He finished with a 7-1 record while accumulating 56 strikeouts and posting a 1.76 ERA.

Chandler Anderson, Park City
Anderson played a significant role in helping the Miners win a school-record 22 games last spring. He posted a .467 batting average while accumulating 12 doubles, five home runs and 30 RBIs. It was another strong year for Anderson after he emerged as a sophomore with a .479 batting average and 14 doubles.

Josh Cowley, Woods Cross
Cowley has proven he can make an instant impact as a hitter. Last year, as a junior, he posted a .488 batting average while tallying 41 hits and 22 RBIs. The Wildcats will count on Crowley to lead the way as they challenge crosstown rival Bountiful for Region 6 supremacy.

Zack Brinkerhoff, Canyon View (Cedar City)
Brinkerhoff has been a consistently strong pitcher during his high school career. The senior, who has signed with BYU, went 9-3 on the mound last year with a 0.43 earned run average and tallied 115 strikeouts. He has 175 career strikeouts and a 22-6 record overall.

Chandler Goeckeritz, Lone Peak (Highland)
Goeckeritz offered a snapshot of his potential as a reliable hitter last season. He had a .416 batting average, while tallying 10 doubles and three home runs. His work at the plate is one of the reasons why the Knights were able to return to the Class 5A playoffs last season after missing out in 2013.

John Coon covers Utah High School Sports for MaxPreps. You can reach him at john_coon@hotmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports.