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Home > Archive > Jul 12, 2007

Littlewood Brothers Share the Legion Experience
By Stephen Vincent
When Dani Littlewood married her husband, Mike, she knew she was signing on for a lifetime of baseball.
“We'd been dating since I was 15, and he was 16,” she said. “We went through high school, college, and pro ball, and now coaching.”
For the Littlewoods, baseball is admittedly a big part of their lives.
“Our life is baseball and church,” said Dani Littlewood. “I can't imagine any other way. We're busy all the time. We've been able to go to a lot of places and see a lot of things because of baseball.”
That passion for baseball has been embraced by the couple's three sons. Their only daughter, Mica, though, finds dancing much more fascinating than baseball.
The oldest son, Tyson, will be playing baseball at Dixie State College, where Mike is the head baseball coach.
But this summer, the family baseball scene belongs to Nate and Marcus, who are playing for the St. George American Legion baseball team.
“It's pretty fun because we were always together, so it's kind of nice to play on the same team,” Nate said.
The boys each began playing baseball when they were 3 years old, starting in a T-ball league in Taylorsville, a place renowned for putting out some of the state's best baseball players. The boys moved to St. George when Mike became the head coach of the Rebels.
They have kept playing the sport ever since, and each said he loves playing the game.
On the legion team, Marcus plays second base, and Nate is the pitcher, third baseman or first baseman, depending on what the team needs from him that game.
Marcus, 15, and a sophomore at Pine View next year, said he enjoys the challenge of legion ball.
“The competition is much better,” he said. “I like playing against better teams; legion is a better caliber of baseball.”
Nate, 17, a senior next year, said he enjoys being a part of the team.
“I enjoy playing it and being out there with my friends,” Nate said. “All the guys on the team are pretty good friends. The league is much more relaxed. You're out there to have fun.”
Marcus said spending the summer on a legion team mixed with the best talent from the three local high schools has given him a different perspective on the players from rival high schools.
“You hate them when you're playing against them,” Marcus said, “but you love them when you're playing with them. They're just a bunch of good guys.”
For Dani, though, the aspect she enjoys most is that her boys are playing on the same team.
“It's nice that Mike and I don't have to split up,” she said. “They are competitive at home, but on the same team, they get along really well. It's really nice for a mom to see them getting along and doing what they love.”
The two played at Pine View last season, where Marcus hit .342, taking over the shortstop position from his brother Tyson, who had graduated a year earlier. Nate hit just under .400 with five homeruns for the Panthers. Nate also went 4-3 on the mound. The pair tied for the team lead in doubles.
“Both of them have been successful, and that makes it easier,” Dani said.
The brothers play for a pair of brothers, Scott and Wade Vest, who manage the Legion team. The Vests enjoy what the Littlewoods bring to their team.
“Nate's a bulldog on the mound,” Wade Vest said. “He works hard – that's why he's so good. Marcus is playing really well. He's got the best hands around.”
The boys have plans for missions and college, and then each hopes to get drafted out of college and pursue a professional baseball career. Nate said he would like to get into coaching someday, while Marcus isn't quite sure yet what he wants to do.
The Littlewood brothers will play together one more season for Pine View and will play one, maybe two more summers together for the American Legion team.

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