OREM, Utah – Utah Valley baseball returns to the diamond in a couple of weeks, and they look to continue to build off the last two seasons. First-year head coach Nate Rasmussen takes the helm of the program, but his hands and impact have already been felt over the past couple of seasons.
 
Since his arrival in 2021, the Wolverines had the biggest turnaround in D1 baseball from 2021-2023, and last season, they won 18 WAC games, which is tied for the most all-time with the NCAA regional team in 2016. Their second-place finish was the best in WAC history. They produced three All-WAC players and an All-American while becoming the first team to hit 100 homers, steal 65 bases, and be hit 100 times. Chase Hennessey made national headlines when he broke the record for the most starts in NCAA D1 history.
 
"The 2025 team comes with a lot of unanswered questions. We have 12 returners, lost seven starters, the entire starting rotation, and most of our bullpen. Jobs are still open, but the excitement and competitive spirit of this club radiates.  I'm very excited to see what we have come out when the umpire says 'play ball' in a couple of weeks," said Rasmussen.
 
THE ARMS
Utah Valley returns some key arms from last year's squad, who will all look to jump forward in 2025. Colton Kennedy is in his third year in Orem and has logged 27 appearances in his career. He has been hitting the mid-90s with his fastball and clocked out at 98 during the Wolverine World Series. Aaron Rice made 12 appearances and finished 1-0 in 17 1/3 innings last year. He made some adjustments in the fall with new pitching coach Kyle Treadway, and he is consistently up to 93-96 with the heater.
 
A couple of new arms to watch start with Wayne State transfer Corbin Kirk, who struck out ten straight hitters during an outing in the Wolverine World Series. He's in his sixth season of college baseball and pairs three secondary offerings with a low 90's fastball to keep hitters off balance. UVU added Utah Tech transfer Carsten Herman, a staple for the Trailblazers, who finished with 43 career games and 21 starts. He could fill a variety of roles during this upcoming season.
 
Jacob Beltran returns after making 18 appearances during his first season in Orem. He missed time in the fall but will look to build off his junior season. He is joined by sophomore Luke Kimmel, an Orem native who made 15 appearances last season. The potential to make great strides in 2025 is there for Kimmel who has hit the low 90s with the fastball. Carter Krosky is coming off a torn UCL, but has positioned himself to be in the back end of the bullpen. He will look to get back to his South Mountain form before hitting the Valley.
 
The Wolverines welcome in some new hurlers to help them take the next step in 2025. Delta native Wayland Crane, a transfer from USU Eastern, will give Rasmussen a lefty option who can pitch either in the bullpen or the rotation. He has sharp secondary pitches that pair with a fastball up to 94.
 
Strong options in the bullpen will help the pitching depth of Utah Valley. This season, an option for late innings is transfer Jacob Heppner; he is returning from injury at Paradise Valley CC. He returns with a fastball clocked in the low 90s, combined with a desire to win that is contagious throughout the program.
 
The Wolverines continued their haul of junior college talent with Mapleton native Cooper Littledike, who had a good fall in Orem after transferring from Southern Idaho. Hunter Lutman enters after spending time at Lower Columbia. His 6' 5" frame combined with a 96 MPH fastball has allowed him to climb up draft boards for 2026. Ray Hernandez comes from Ohlane College with five pitches that keep opposing hitters off balance.
 
Freshman Landon Zaborowski is a two-way player who hails from Arizona with four elite offerings that keep hitters off-balance. He will be a player to watch as he develops during his freshman campaign.
 
Other arms to watch include lefty Mario Bejarano and right-handers Alan Huerta, George Albrecht, Garrett Miller, Franky Lopez, Joey Harmon, CJ Colyer, Sawyer Wickstrom, and Jordan Chancellor.
 
CATCHERS
The Wolverines have no small task in replacing the combined 31 home runs and leadership of Burke Camper and Isaac Lovings. Still, they hope to start with Second-Team All-WAC performer Luke Iverson, who primarily played outfield and designated hitter. He finished last season with a .269 average with four homers and 33 RBI. This summer, he was an All-Star in the West Coast League as a catcher but will also man the outfield at times when not catching.
 
Junior College transfer Joseph Barnhardt transferred from a national junior college power, San Joaquin Delta College, and was a starter for them last season hitting .317 with five home runs and 42 RBIs. He showed good power (and plate discipline) during the fall and had a good chance to see time behind the plate. UVU also added Mason Strong, a transfer who saw limited action in his prior stops at Oklahoma and BYU. His motor is contagious, and the staff looks forward to him being on the field more after suffering an injury in the fall. Derek Houston redshirted last season and continues to make strong strides after coming from Kanab.
 
INFIELD
The Wolverines will need to replace the entire starting infield ahead of 2025. This has been an exciting group to watch during the fall and early spring, and we will likely see some position battles play out in the early part of the season.
 
Replacing Garrett Broussard's 224 career games at third base is no easy task. Nate Bach had some time in the fall at the hot corner and could see some time there for 2025, but he will primarily play the outfield. Cougar Cooke played in 20 games during his freshman season, including a 3-for-4 game with his first collegiate homer at Utah Tech. He is joined by junior college transfer and Lehi native Colby Carter, who hit a career .340 in 107 games at the College of Southern Idaho. He finished his time in Twin Falls with 13 home runs and 85 RBI. Zaborowski and Adam Smith are both freshmen who round out the options at third base, but are likely to see time in 2025.
 
Three JC transfers are battling for the shortstop position, with DJ Massey transferring in from Cerritos College earning first-team All-SCC honors in 2024.  Dominic Longo II came to Orem from Spokane CC, and Kevin Parker (Solano CC) played in 79 games in JUCO and hit .330, including career highs in five categories last season. Because of their strong defensive options, you could see them all play at some point in 2025.
 
The only one set at this point is Utah transfer Landon Frei, who will likely be the opening-day starter at second base. He launched 12 homers in the fall and right now is the leader of the offense. Frei will look to get back to his 2022 form at Utah, which saw him earn Pac-12 All-Conference honors while hitting .330 with 69 hits.
 
The first base and designated hitter job will likely come from the same pool. Joe McBride has continued to develop into his second season in Orem and has come through in clutch moments in the past and during the fall. A couple of transfers to watch are starting with D3 All-American Colyer, who led all D3 in homers and comes to Utah Valley from Pacific University. A transfer from Pacific University worked last year in Lovings, and they will look to replicate that magic this season. GCU transfer Blake Avila joined the program over the summer and put together a solid fall.
 
OUTFIELD
Utah Valley brings back the experience in the outfield with Bach, who hit .286 last season with 14 homers and 53 RBI. Senior Jayden Smith, who spent most of 2024 in the lineup playing the outfield, put together a solid season with a .308 average while scoring 41 runs on the year. They need to fill one spot out in the starting nine and have a great option in Jimmy De Anda, who transferred from Santa Ana College and put together a great fall. He will be a middle-of-the-order option for the Wolverines. Keep an eye on Brody Block. He put together some solid ABs in the fall before being sidelined with an injury.
 
Utah Valley opens up the 2025 campaign on the road with a four-game series at UC Riverside starting on Friday, Feb. 14. The home opener is slated for Friday, Feb. 28 at 4:05 p.m. MT against UC Davis.