"Not many guys in college do this," said Kinneberg of Utah's rubber-armed staff. "But our backs were against the wall and they came to me and said, 'We're pitching, I don't care what you say. We're going to win this thing and I'm going to be a part of it' and that's what Budrow and (Jordan) Whatcott did."

The star player was Tyler Yagi, a 5-foot-9, 150-pound freshman from Skyline High School, who had 10 hits and was named tourney MVP. Also making the all-tourney team was another local, Corey Shimada of Murray High, a four-year starter for the Utes.

So now the Utes are headed to the NCAAs for the first time since 1960 when they lost to Colorado State College of Greeley (now Northern Colorado) in a three-game series at the old Derks Field.

The catcher on that team was Tom Lovat, who later went on to coach the Ute football team and become an NFL assistant for 30 years.

Reached at his home in Wisconsin, Lovat had already read the news about the Utes on the Internet. He recalled how the '60 Utes hit the ball all over the park and scored 20-something runs in a blowout win, only to lose the next two and miss their chance to go on to Omaha for the College World Series.

That Ute team had several good players, including Billy Cowan, who went on to have a successful major league career, as well as Archie Skeen, who made it to Triple-A.

The Utah baseball media guide has no mention of the baseball results prior to 1963, which came as no surprise to Lovat.

"(Coach) Pres Summerhays used to print up a little handout with the batting averages on it," he said.

The only time the Utes ever made it to Omaha was in 1951 when they were eliminated in the semifinals.

The Utes have a long road to make the final eight in Omaha next month, but after what they accomplished last week, the Utes are confident.

When asked if Utah could eventually become a national power on the level of an Oregon State or a Wichita State, a couple of other "cold-weather" schools that have built elite programs, Kinneberg doesn't even flinch.

"That's what you coach for and what you want to achieve," he said. "That's a goal of ours to be as good as we can be."

E-MAIL: sor@desnews.com