WAC title in hand, Wolverines return to Utah to await NCAA Regional fate


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SALT LAKE CITY — Quietly and with little fanfare, Utah Valley’s baseball took the Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament trophy off its Southwest flight from Phoenix to Salt Lake International and strapped it in for the ride back to Orem, all the while clutching it to the chest of one player or another.

The Wolverines, naturally, wanted to protect their investment pretty well.

Utah Valley (37-21) advanced to its first-ever NCAA Regional with a 4-0 win over Seattle in the WAC Tournament championship game late Saturday night, thanks in large part to an outfielder Craig Brinkerhoff from Kanab.

“To make it happen now means everything to our team,” said Brinkerhoff, who was named tournament MVP. “Everybody did their job at the right time. Our coaches set us up perfectly at the right time. It was awesome.”

Utah Valley relied on a number of individuals, including a few young players who broke out during the four-game run over the past week in Mesa, Arizona. Sophomore pitcher Kaden Schmitt pitched seven scoreless innings in the finale against the Redhawks, earning his first win of the season in the most critical game.

Photo: Linsey McClain, UVU Athletics
Photo: Linsey McClain, UVU Athletics

“From the very first day, we were all business,” said Brinkerhoff, who had six runs and three RBIs on nine hits in the tourney. “We were so focused. We knew what it would take.”

The run to the title wasn’t easy, either. The third-seeded Wolverines trailed 6-1 going into the fourth inning of the semifinal against Seattle, but rattled off 12 unanswered runs — including a six-run seventh — en route to the 13-8 win.

The Wolverines advanced to the tournament finals twice in the past three years but finally got it done Saturday night. Such a moment came after several highs in UVU history, including the 47-win team of 2012 that missed the tournament because the Great West Conference-bound Wolverines were without a conference with an automatic bid.

The struggles of previous seasons made this weekend’s success even better for Utah Valley coach Eric Madsen, who is in his eighth season.

“Our coaching staff has been together for a long time, and to have it happen is great for the kids and for the program,” Madsen said. “I’m excited for the whole program but more for these kids and what they are able to accomplish.”

Madsen’s successful run through the WAC Tournament wasn’t the first tourney title won by his family, though. His son Mick pitched American Fork to the Class 5A state title Friday, including a five-inning game-winner with six strikeouts in the 13-9 win over rival Lone Peak in the winner-take-all final late Friday night.

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The Wolverines don’t want to be done just yet, though. They are eager to learn their opponent and regional site, which will be announced during the NCAA Selection Show at 10 a.m. MT Monday on ESPNU.

“This is our first, and hopefully a lot more to come,” Brinkerhoff said. “The seniors have been working for this for a long time. To see our hard work pay off is big.”

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