Utah Valley University baseball coach Eddie Smith has agreed to a contract extension that will keep him in Orem through the 2029 season. The new deal comes after a 34-win season in 2023, which was the fourth most in the program’s NCAA Division I era.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to keep Coach Eddie Smith and his family in Wolverine Green for years to come,” said UVU director of athletics Dr. Jared Sumsion. “The team had an excellent season. We were on the doorstep of an NCAA regional this year and I’m confident that Utah Valley baseball will continue to compete for postseason berths under Coach Smith’s leadership.”

Smith recently completed his second season as the Wolverine skipper and had the team one win shy of its second NCAA Tournament berth. Utah Valley finished the regular season by winning eight of its last nine games to finish third after being picked 11th in the preseason.

The Wolverines were led by first-team All-WAC selections Daniel Dickinson and Casey Anderson. Dickinson also earned a spot on the Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American Team after batting .376 with nine home runs, 19 doubles, and 42 RBIs. Anderson was 5-1 with a 3.39 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 69 innings pitched.

The 2023 team hit the most home runs in the BBCOR era (since 2011), hitting 62 as a club, the second-most in program history. The team also had the most doubles (131) in the BBCOR era while also producing the most runs, RBIs, and the highest slugging percentage since the 2012 team that won 32 straight games. Utah Valley also tied the record for the most runs scored in a game with 25 against New Mexico State and broke the record for runs in the seven-inning game with 23 at Utah Tech.

“We are thrilled to be at Utah Valley and continue to build this baseball program into one of the finest in the West. Utah Valley University is a special place to be right now with growth in all areas, and our family feels so fortunate to get to be part of this great institution,” said UVU head coach Eddie Smith.

During his first season in Orem, he led UVU to a nine-win turnaround from 2021 to 2022 with a demanding schedule featuring six games against the top four teams in the WAC West Division. Utah Valley earned upset victories over ranked teams Texas State and Grand Canyon. Under his guidance, Drew Sims, a two-time Buster Posey Award Watch List member, and Mitch Moralez signed professional contracts following the season.

The classroom has been another area of extreme accomplishment for Utah Valley baseball. The 2022 team finished with a 3.24 team GPA while the 2023 team led all men’s sports in the athletic department with a 3.49 team GPA. Both teams have been honored with team and regional awards recognizing their classroom achievements.

“It is rare to be part of an athletic department where you feel so much growth and support. This all starts at the top with Jared Sumsion and Chad Foote. Their leadership, as well as the support from VP Val Peterson and President Tuminez, is the catalyst for the growth in this athletic department,” said Coach Smith.