Baseball prodigy playing with Marshalls

The "Chosen One" is in town.

Bryce Harper, a 16-year-old phenom, is spending this week in Utah playing for the Utah Marshalls. The Marshalls play at Kearns High's Gates Field WEdnesday night and Thursday and Friday nights.

"We're excited he came to play for us and be a part of our program," said Chad Shepherd, the director of the Marshall Gates Foundation.

In case you missed it, Harper was profiled in Sports Illustrated last month. He was on the cover with the title of "Baseball's Chosen One," and deemed the most exciting prodigy since LeBron James. The article recounts such feats as Harper throwing 96 miles per hour and hitting a 570-foot home run.

It also states that Harper throws runners out from his knees at catcher, and he did just that in his Marshalls debut on Monday night. Harper, a sophomore at Las Vegas High last spring, is leaving high school after two years and will play at Southern Nevada next spring. Two Utahns will be on his team — Cyprus' Taylor Jones and Tooele's Matt Medina.

Harper is rooming with Marcus Littlewood, the Deseret News 2009 Mr. Baseball award winner, while in Utah. Littlewood said they know each other from playing for the 16-under U.S. National team last summer.

Harper displayed a cannon for an arm at catcher in the Marshalls' 4-0 loss to the Bucks on Monday night. He struggled at the plate though, going 0-for-4. He was hitless in three at-bats against Bingham's Ty Hansen, and was put out by Mountain Crest's Taylor Larsen, the 4A MVP, in the ninth inning.

Harper, who is declining interview requests, is making friends on the Marshalls. He signed autographs for a couple of little kids following Monday's game.

"He's a cool kid," Jones.

"He's clearly a great player, but he's an even better kid," Shepherd said.

LITTLEWOOD MAKES CUT: Littlewood was named to the All-Tournament team while representing Team USA in the Junior Pan Am Games last fall. He moved closer to again at least wearing the red, white and blue after competing in the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars in Cary, N.C., last month.

Littlewood survived the first cut for Team USA's 18-under team, which saw a list of more than 100 prospective national teamers trimmed down to 34. Those players will try to make the final roster of 18 players in September.

"It was awesome," Littlewood said of his experience in Cary. "I was a little bit more comfortable this year and I knew what to expect. It was a great experience."

LEGION TOURNEY STARTS SATURDAY: The American Legion state tournament begins at Oquirrh Park in Kearns on Saturday. The double-elimination tourney will last until Aug. 1.

e-mail: aaragon@desnews.com