Kevin Johnson, Ogden Raptors

OGDEN — The independent era of the Pioneer Baseball League has allowed teams like the Ogden Raptors to give a closer look at local players.

Two such players have put themselves on opening-day rosters for the Raptors in recent seasons: Clearfield’s Chase Stratton and Bountiful’s Parker DePasquale. And that’s a good thing, as Ogden native and Bonneville High graduate Evan Parker sees it.

“What it means is the opportunity to have those guys showcase themselves and then they get to earn it on the field,” said Parker, the team’s first-year manager. “I can’t do favors for anybody but I can give guys the chance to come in here and earn it. I care about Utah guys and … want to give guys a shot if I feel they deserve it.”

Stratton is a 2016 graduate of Clearfield High School. After two years of junior college ball at Utah State-Eastern, he played three more seasons at William Penn, an NAIA college in Iowa.

After a quick stint in Lafayette, Indiana, in the summer college ball Prospect League, the left-handed pitcher returned home to take his first crack at professional baseball. At the Pioneer League’s first-ever league tryout, held during the 2021 season in Ogden, Stratton threw well enough to latch on with Grand Junction. He threw 16 innings for the then-Rockies.

Kevin Johnson, Ogden Raptors

Stratton returned to Lindquist Field again in 2022 for the Raptors’ local preseason tryout and made the opening-day roster.

“Doing two tryouts is not ideal. It’s definitely been a grind but I’ve enjoyed it,” Stratton said. “I get to keep playing baseball, and I’ve been lucky enough to be here in Ogden in front of family. They’ve wanted me back every single time, so I’ve been lucky for that.”

Stratton’s 2022 season was solid, recording a 5-2 record with a 4.22 ERA and 53 strikeouts to 22 walks in 49 innings.

“He’s got above-average spin and break on his curveball,” Parker said about Stratton. “He has a high IQ in terms of knowledge of pitching and he gives us a chance to compete because he can throw multiple pitches for strikes.”

His 2023 season was not as sharp, so, after an offseason stint doing custodial work at Farmington High School, he’s aiming for a return to 2022 form in his final season before he meets his service-time limit in the PBL.

DENNIS MONTGOMERY, Special to the Standard-Examiner

“If I can keep getting better, I’ll keep playing as long as I can,” Stratton said. “I just wanted to have another good year and see what happens.”

DePasquale’s journey is similar. After winning a state championship at Bountiful High School, he played two seasons at Yakima Valley College (Washington) before battling injuries like a broken hand, torn ACL and more at NAIA college Texas A&M Texarkana.

The outfielder didn’t know much about independent professional baseball but new opportunities arose when the Pioneer League was forced into independence. A tryout in Ogden led DePasquale to spend spring training with the Raptors, and land on rosters in Billings and in two other independent leagues (the Pecos League and Frontier League), with a stop in the MLB Draft League.

In all, he’s played professional baseball Montana, Ohio, New Mexico, Arizona and Quebec.

But now DePasquale’s back in Utah, again living in his childhood home after he and Parker connected in December about him returning to the Raptors. He helped coach baseball on a team and individual basis before returning to Lindquist Field for spring training.

BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner

“I performed pretty well here both times but I was a late addition last time, but I’m thankful for the opportunity because it gave me a chance to get picked up somewhere else and now the chance to come back here,” DePasquale said. “It’s an awesome experience to look up and my dad’s there coming to every game.”

Parker says DePasquale had several quality at-bats in spring training, hit for a high average and earned his spot.

“He’s a guy who’s just a grinder,” Parker said about DePasquale. “He’s a great kid and clubhouse culture is one of the biggest things for me. It gives you a chance to win when it matters.”

That culture has been put to the test as the defending champions are 1-6 this season entering Wednesday’s game, with four of the six losses coming by seven or more runs.

“I’ve been here for four years and that’s the worst start we’ve had since I’ve been here. I’m an objective person, I don’t try to find things that aren’t there,” Parker said.

“We had guys who pitched really well in spring training and I’ve followed for a while, but we get the ring ceremony and all this talk about being defending champions, and I think it’s all up here,” he said, pointing to his temple. “That’s not to make excuses, but we’re bringing new arms in here and … we have a tough task ahead but I know we can still compete.”

Ogden made several roster changes between the first and second series and Parker says he’s not worried if he has to make more.

“I believe in the guys we have here but we also have to do what it takes to make this team successful,” he said. “Sometimes there are hard decisions but we’re going in the right direction and we’ll do anything to make this team successful.”