Most top high school recruits have been around the game they love and hope to pursue as long as they’ve been alive. Mason Gray isn’t like most recruits.

The senior ace on the Pinnacle High School baseball team is widely considered one of the top recruits in the state.

But unlike a lot of baseball players who picked the game up in t ball at a very early age. Gray picked it up much later.

“I started a little late, around 10 years old,” Gray said. “Me, my dad and my brother would just go to the field and hit fly balls and throw the baseball around.”

From then on the love for the sport started to develop. After reaching high school, the love of pitching came and Gray started to take his game more seriously.

“Sophomore year I made varsity after freshman year not playing much and being a bench player,” Gray said. “Kind of surprised me but I felt like I earned it so it made me want to work harder.”

Since that call up Gray has emerged as the ace of the Pioneer staff. The senior has a 5-0 record and an era of 1.29. The work he put in has not only paid off on the field but earned Division I scholarship offers as well.

As the calls from coaches started to come, Gray embraced the process.

“I never thought it would actually happen,” Gray said. “It was fun talking to different coaches and them telling me about their programs.”

The Utah Valley commit has improved significantly over the past two-plus seasons. His pitching coach, Matt Glott, says Gray’s mentality has been the biggest key.

“He’s grown tremendously when it comes to having the confidence to execute any pitch in any count.” Glott said. “It helps when the velo(city) goes up a little bit but I think the biggest thing is the mental part of the game.”

In his junior season, Gray became the starter that head coach Roy Muller and his staff would lean on in big games, including postseason games as the Pioneers fell just short of a state championship a year ago. Now in the same role, Muller credits growth on the mound more than anything.

“I think he’s matured into a complete pitcher,” Muller said. “He no longer tries to throw too hard. He understands that the other pitch makes his fastball that much better.”

Getting a player to the next level is always the goal for coaches and Glott felt a particular sense of pride as he started getting collegiate attention.

“It’s alway terrific anytime any kids get looked at by school,” Glott said. “With Mason it was especially gratifying just because of all the work that he’s put in. I tip my hat off to him and I couldn’t be happier.

For now, Gray isn’t focusing on the next level. He looks to lead his team all the way to its first ever state title.