Prep baseball: Pratt, West Field sink Weber 9-4 as strong second half nears close
It takes a herd, and interim coach Tyler Barfuss has the Longhorns swinging for the fences
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- West Field’s Kanyon Pratt delivers a pitch during a non-region baseball game versus Weber High on Monday, April 28, 2025, in Taylor.
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- West Field’s Samuel Smith celebrates a run during a non-region baseball game versus Weber High on Monday, April 28, 2025, in Taylor.
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- West Field interim baseball coach Tyler Barfuss looks down the third-base line during a non-region game versus Weber High on Monday, April 28, 2025, in Taylor.
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- Weber High’s Riley Morris (center) swings low during a non-region baseball game at West Field on Monday, April 28, 2025, in Taylor.
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- West Field’s Caymen Kap delivers a pitch during a non-region baseball game versus Weber High on Monday, April 28, 2025, in Taylor
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- Weber High’s Jace Redd (left) and Kayson Badger (right) celebrate a run during a non-region baseball game on Monday, April 28, 2025, in Taylor.
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- Weber High’s Eastyn Barker watches the baserunner while retrieving a ground ball during a non-region baseball game at West Field on Monday, April 28, 2025, in Taylor.
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- West Field’s Brady Penland adjusts his batting helmet during a non-region baseball game on Monday, April 28, 2025, in Taylor.
TAYLOR — West Field’s Kanyon Pratt has enjoyed a far different senior sendoff than his father, Aaron, a 1996 All-State outfielder at Weber High. Transferring from Fremont this fall, Pratt found himself in the middle of a high school startup rocking its way into the postseason.
Monday, Pratt totaled five RBIs on three hits against his father’s alma mater for the Longhorns’ fourth consecutive win, outrunning Weber 9-4 in a non-region matchup.
Pratt preserved the win for senior Caymen Kap, who relieved a 2-0 start by senior Tyce Abbott, also a son of Weber baseball royalty and 1999 All-State outfielder Jake Abbott.
Abbott (1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K) gave the Longhorns (15-9, 9-3 Region 11) a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second; Kap (3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K) kept Weber (2-16, 1-8 Region 1) at bay through four frames. In closing, Pratt picked up a single hit with four strikeouts.
“All three, they’re the best,” Pratt said. “(Kap), he’s a dog on the mound. Tyce, he’s one of the best outfielders I’ve ever seen. Tyce hits the crap out of the ball, too. It’s nothing more I could really ask for.”
It’s fun times for Pratt, Abbott and Kap — all seniors — as West Field cleans up its remaining make-up dates, including a road trip to Timpanogos on Tuesday afternoon. But make no mistake, these three made contact with a serious midseason curveball.
Clayne Garrett, West Field’s original head coach, stepped away from the program for personal reasons during a 7-6 start, according to interim coach Tyler Barfuss. Barfuss, a former head coach at Roy High, was named coach April 9 ahead of a 1-2 series loss to Bear River.
Since the switch-up, the Longhorns are averaging 10.2 runs per game over their past 11. It’s not wizardry between Barfuss and West Field, the idea’s simple: ‘Don’t think about it.’
“These guys play for a coach who wants them to hit the ball out of the yard,” Barfuss said. “We just try to keep it simple: see strikes, hit ’em hard. I don’t want them thinking (too much) up there. I want them to understand the count and situation, but just be able to execute.”
Pratt lived up to such expectations, raking a two-run homer for a 5-2 Longhorns lead Monday in the bottom of the third. Weber senior Ridge Torman answered in the fourth, shaving a run off West Field’s lead with a solo shot over the right wall.
Tallying 13 total hits, West Field scored three more runs in the fourth and added an insurance run in the sixth to extend their current winning streak to four.
It’s a similarly tough spring for Weber, which finished the day with six hits and a sixth consecutive loss.
An early-season coaching change saw first-year coach Josh Rhees step into the role with a program that Torman, one of nine seniors on the Weber roster, said needed immediate repairs.
“We’ve had some attitude problems and each person’s made some errors so we’ve just had to overcome some hard struggles,” Torman said. “It just comes down to who wants it.”
In contrast, West Field, a finishing game behind region champion Ridgeline (20-4, 10-2), will have a close eye on the 4A postseason bracket reveal Wednesday morning.
“We’ve got on the right side of the weather so we can begin playing consistently and the kids have hit the heck out of it the last 11 or 12 games,” Barfuss said. “It’s pretty easy to pitch and play defense when you’re scoring 10 or 12 runs a game.
“We’re just glad to have a couple of sons of Weber greats on our team,” Barfuss said.
Connect with sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.
