With 1st-year head coach, 9 local players, Utah Valley baseball represents state at NCAA regional

OREM — Just under a year ago, Nate Rasmussen was left with perhaps one of the tougher jobs in college baseball.

The former Utah Valley associate head coach watched his old boss Eddie Smith leave for Washington with starting pitcher Jackson Thomas, and one of his top hitters Daniel Dickinson transferred to LSU.

The Wolverines didn't return a single starting pitcher from last year's 29-29 team that included a win in the Western Athletic Tournament, and was — by many accounts — trending upward.

And there was nowhere else the Utah native would rather have been.

"We've been building this for four years; it was never in our plan to have a drop off," said Rasmussen, who inked a contract extension through 2029 after leading the Wolverines to their first NCAA regional in nine years. "The thing I'm most excited about was that we were able to retain the amount of players that we retained to make this thing happen. Credit to them for not jumping ship and believing in what we were going to still do."

Utah Valley (32-27) will open NCAA regional play for only the second time since transitioning to Division I in 2003 on Friday, against 12th-seeded regional host Oregon (7 p.m. MDT, ESPNU). It's the first time since 2016 the Wolverines are in a regional, which also includes Big West champion Cal Poly and Big 12 tournament champion Arizona.

But these Wolverines aren't just there to "hang out and sightsee," Rasmussen adds. Like their coach, a competitive streak now takes over for the WAC champions whose 32 wins are the most under a first-year head coach in program history.

"We're going there to win," Utah Valley pitcher Colton Kennedy said with a half smile, clearly enjoying the moment.

There's reason to enjoy the ride for Rasmussen, a Utah native and former Bingham High standout who joined Smith's staff in 2021 after stops at Puget Sound, Pacific and Northern Colorado, in addition to time as a hitting coach in the Minnesota Twins organization and the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.

"Obviously, this is the dream," Rasmussen said. "This is what we're hired to do. This is what the players came here to do."

But to accomplish that dream, Rasmussen knew the needed to build on to what he already had. That included a filling out a roster that represented the state of Utah — nine Beehive State natives have played for this squad including Utah transfer Landon Frei and former Utah Tech pitcher Carston Herman.

Luke Iverson was one of those players who stayed with Rasmussen, a former Pine View High standout who hit .275 a year ago with four home runs, 12 extra-base hits and 33 RBI in 38 games en route to All-WAC second-team honors, as was Cooper Littledike, the Maple Mountain alum by way of College of Southern Idaho who threw for the first combined no-hitter in WAC Tournament history in Utah Valley's march to the title in Mesa.

But it all goes back to their coach.

"I think that's a big part of our success: The guys want so badly to come through for him," Iverson said. "It's been so special to be able to play for him this season. He brings out the best version of us, and lets us play our own individual and unique style. That helps us to play loose and play free."

Rasmussen also worked the portal, including calling a Utah native who already told him "no" once before in Mason Strong.

The former BYU catcher who played two seasons at Oklahoma before entering the transfer portal again was "about 15 minutes" late on potentially committing to Utah Valley the first time, Rasmussen said. By the time he reached out, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound slugger had already made his decision.

This time, the coach called Rass called 14 minutes sooner — and Strong had already made his own plans, connecting with former Snow Canyon teammates Frei and Herman on the phone about a bringing back together a band that formed when the former 4A player of the year was 6 years old.

The missing piece, though, was Rasmussen.

"I was really intrigued, especially with what Utah Valley had done the past two years," said Strong, who hit .376 with 11 home runs including two in the WAC tournament final. "But ultimately, it felt like he really, really wanted me, too. I wanted to go to a place where I felt like that, and it was the best decision I ever made."

Rasmussen wasn't going to let Strong get away a second time.

"He committed to use within 24 hours," he said, "and it's worked out really well for both of us."

Representing Utah on their jerseys and in the locker room, the Wolverines don't take it lightly.

"Growing up in Utah and making it to a regional, it shows that Utah players can play on the national stage," Frei said. "I think it's a great thing for the state of Utah."

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