By Audrey Maynard

When Cody Guymon, BS ʼ11, PMBA ʼ14, walked on to the University of Utah baseball team in 2006, he had a strong sense he was part of something bigger than himself. The sophomore catcher had recently transferred from St. Mary’s College of California, a small private institution, and he immediately took advantage of all that life at a large university had to offer.

“My school didn’t have a football team, so coming to the U and seeing football games with my teammates, exploring the mountains, and camping and fishing—it all made a huge impact on me, so much so that I’ve lived here ever since,” he says.

For years, baseball players at the U, like Guymon, lived a harried existence—practicing at the outdoor field on Guardsman Way, hustling to the HPER building to lift weights, and piling into cars to drive 20 minutes downtown for game day at Smith’s Ballpark. In the winter, the team would make do in the football field house, hitting balls into nets dropped from the ceiling.

“We didn’t mind because playing on the team was just awesome regardless,” he says. “But I do remember thinking how nice it would have been to have everything we needed as athletes all in one place.”

That day finally came in March with the Utes playing their inaugural game against Grand Canyon University at the Charlie Monfort Field at America First Ballpark. Ten years in the making, this state-of-the-art facility has transformed the team’s former practice field, combining elite training spaces with year-round playability.

The $38 million project was made possible with primary support from America First Credit Union and Charlie Monfort, BS ʼ82, owner and general partner of the Colorado Rockies. Many alumni and community members joined the fundraising effort, including Monfort, who named the facility’s recruiting lounge.

“When I was on the team, the U was at a disadvantage compared to other top-tier programs because some of the best recruits in the country did not see us as an option,” Guymon says. “I think the playing field is leveled now, and this new facility will give anybody who wants to play here the opportunity to succeed.”

Matt Flaharty, BS ʼ26, just completed his redshirt senior year as the starting shortstop for the Utes. The opening of the America First Ballpark marked the realization of something generations of Utah baseball players had dreamed of: a permanent home designed specifically for Utes Baseball and the student-athletes who represent it.

Honestly, the first time I saw the new ballpark, I was starstruck,” Flaharty says. “I had high expectations, but it absolutely blew my socks off. We hadn’t had a place to call our actual home on campus, and now we do.”

Beyond its many amenities—indoor batting tunnels, a pitching lab, weight room, and hydrotherapy tubs—the ballpark has become a welcoming space for teammates to gather and connect outside of competition. For Flaharty, the highlights have been team movie nights in the film room ahead of a series and soaking in the sun on Charlie Monfort Field during off days.

“This is a place where we can all come and spend time together as a team,” Flaharty says. “We have become incredibly tight, and you see the proof of that in our come-from-behind wins this season.”

As someone who played the majority of his home games at Smith’s Ballpark, Guymon remembers how sparse it felt when 2,000 fans would cheer on the Utes in a stadium that could accommodate 15,000. He believes the America First Ballpark is the perfect size for the team’s fanbase, and its proximity to campus and Sunnyside Park will attract new fans.

“I remember we would sometimes play Tuesday games on the practice field, and it was in terrible shape compared to the field downtown,” Guymon says. “But we loved playing there because so many people would show up. So imagine the setting now—this beautiful new field. The student-athletes today are so fortunate.”

Flaharty, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, is grateful to all who came together to make America First Ballpark a reality. To him, its opening was the capstone to a truly memorable year, one in which the Utes won 16 home games—the most since the 1991 season.

“This year was what I’ve waited for as a student at the U, and every day has been such a blessing,” Flaharty says. “As I look around the stadium, I think, ‘How could you say no to this place?’ I can only imagine things getting better from here.”

Guymon agrees and is grateful for the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the program that contributed so much to his personal and professional success.

“I think the ballpark is an investment in everybody—student-athletes, the university, and the community,” he says. “It signals that this program is meaningful and the U is going to provide the best. There’s a pride in knowing you helped build something that’s now gone well beyond what you imagined for yourself.”