(Longview, WA) – It will be a homecoming on Monday May 9^th when the Utah Valley Wolverines come to David Story Field for a baseball game against the Lower Columbia College Red Devils.
 
Utah Valley is led by first year head coach Eddie Smith who makes a return to Longview where he led Lower Columbia College to two NWAC championships in four successful seasons as the Red Devil head coach.
 
Also coming back to Story Field will be two former LCC players Michael Forgione and Kade Kryzsko, who are assistant coaches for Smith at Utah Valley.
 
The last time an NCAA Division I team played at Story Field was Sunday February 26, 2012 when the Portland Pilots defeated the Creighton Blue Jays 5-3. That game featured a 45 minute rain delay and a combined 11 pitchers were used that day.  The second game of the planned double header was rained out.
 
Lower Columbia has played many Division I programs over its history although they were mostly Junior Varsity or Freshman teams.  The Red Devils have played Oregon State, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Arizona State, Washington State, Portland State and San Diego State from 1956 through 1996.  The game Monday would be the first LCC game against a full varsity NCAA Division I squad in school history.
 
Smith's LCC teams were 146-49 in his four seasons in Longview including NWAC titles in 2015 and 2017.
 
Smith, who was an assistant at Virginia, Notre Dame, Santa Clara, Tulane and LSU landed his first Division I head coaching job at Utah Valley this season. The Wolverines are 16-28 prior to a visit to Washington State for a three game set Friday through Sunday May 6-7-8.
 
When UVU's game with Utah was cancelled earlier this season, that opened a spot on the schedule that allows Smith to return to his old stomping grounds at Story Field.  After Monday's game against LCC, Utah Valley will play a game at the University of Portland on Wednesday May 11^th at 2 pm.
 
LCC athletic director Kirc Roland is hoping that many of Smith's players while at LCC will come out and watch their former coach do his thing at the Division I level not to mention the Longview-Kelso community.  "It's great that coach Smith is coming back to where he had some great years at LCC.  It's not often we get to host NCAA Division I teams and so I hope the community will come out to enjoy high caliber baseball and thank coach Smith for the great memories here at LCC", said Roland.
 
Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for seniors, youth and military. Gates at Story Field open at 4 pm Monday.
 
The game will be streamed live on Devil Vision at lccreddevils.com/watch