Top 10 Utah high school baseball players to watch this season

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Baseball teams from Utah are starting to take a step up regionally and nationally. Much of it can be attributed to a talent pool that seems to be deepening each year. Many of the state's top teams have a plethora of talented pitchers and hitters this spring.

Here are a few Utah high school baseball players destined to stand out from the pack in 2016:

Payton Henry, Pleasant Grove
Henry is a MaxPreps Preseason All-American and arguably the state's top player. The senior catcher returns after leading the Vikings to a Class 5A title last spring. He batted a scorching .527 while tallying 46 RBIs, 11 doubles and nine home runs. He also made a name for himself as a reliable closer on the mound, sporting a 0.62 ERA and earning five saves in nine appearances.

Sean Keating, Bingham (South Jordan)
The Miners are probably the biggest threat to Pleasant Grove repeating as state champions this season. Keating is a huge reason for it. He made it tough for opponents to score on Bingham last season, going 10-1 on the mound and accumulating 72 strikeouts. Keating also did damage as a batter, piling up 10 doubles and five home runs while batting .407.

Seth Corry, Lone Peak (Highland)
Corry is on track to be the next major star to come out of Utah. He enjoyed a fantastic sophomore season, earning MaxPreps Sophomore All-American status after going 7-1 on the mound with 95 strikeouts. The junior is just as tough to beat at the plate. He batted .360 last season while tallying 26 RBIs and six home runs.

Dakota Donovan, Pine View (St. George)
With Donvan finding all sorts of ways to dominate at the plate and on the mound, the Panthers were unbeatable last season en route to winning the Class 3A title. The junior posted a 10-0 record, a 1.10 ERA and piled up 92 strikeouts in just 65 innings pitched. As a batter, he tallied 30 RBIs while hitting .373 overall.

Cooper Smith, Salem Hills (Salem)
One thing is obvious with Smith – he's equally skilled at lighting up the scoreboard and keeping opponents off it. Last spring, Smith boasted a 1.000 fielding percentage for the Skyhawks. At the plate, he totaled 41 runs and 31 RBIs on 44 hits while batting .423 for the season. Smith was also one of the Class 4A leaders in stolen bases with 16 steals.

Andrew Lisk, Jordan (Sandy, Utah)
Lisk made a name for himself as a proficient quarterback in the fall. But he has been a baseball star at Jordan for a lot longer. The shortstop had a memorable junior season last spring. He tallied 22 RBIs and nine doubles while batting a healthy .475.

Wil Jensen, Cottonwood (Salt Lake City)
Jensen is a true double threat for the Colts. He is the latest in a long line of talented pitchers for Cottonwood. As a junior, Jensen posted an 8-1 record and had a 1.09 ERA. He also excelled as a hitter, totaling 26 RBIs while batting .396 for the season.

Kayson Bundy, Enterprise
One reason why the Wolves are tough to beat starts with Bundy. The senior catcher led Class 2A with 16 doubles on 44 hits. He batted .506 and boasted a .616 on-base percentage. Bundy's play helped Enterprise reach the Class 2A championship game a year ago and it could position the Wolves to grab the title this spring.

Paxton Schultz, Orem
Quality pitchers seem to grow on trees in Utah County. Schultz certainly makes a good argument for that idea with how his junior season played out. He posted a 9-2 record on the mound while tallying 90 strikeouts. Schultz also made a mark as a batter, blasting seven home runs while batting .383 overall.

Rykker Tom, Cedar City
The Redmen will be a tough team to deal with all season and Tom is one major reason why that's the case. He dominated at the plate last spring. Tom tallied seven triples and eight doubles while batting .433. His speed came into play in helping him get extra bases and he racked up 14 stolen bases during his junior year.

John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps. You can contact him at john_coon@hotmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports