PHOENIX — With eagles soaring high above the clouds and humpback whales flourishing in its gulf, the state of Alaska, known as the Last Frontier, is full of natural beauty. 

Alongside Alaska’s nation-leading 328 million acres of government-owned wilderness, according to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, the Land of the Midnight Sun offers an environment unlike that in the Lower 48 – A land untouched by humanity.

However, Arizona State baseball sophomore catcher Coen Niclai believes beneath the surface also lies a special baseball culture that leads many to pursue greatness at the sport’s highest level. 

Yet, as of 2026, only 12 native Alaskans have ever represented the state in MLB, with the most notable being pitcher Curt Schilling. 

Knowing the odds, Coen Niclai said he is determined to make the next level while representing his home every time he suits up behind the plate.

“I take pride every time I go out there and perform,” Coen Niclai said. 

Coen Niclai, a two-time Alaskan Gatorade Player of the Year and the 2024 No. 1-ranked player in the state, looks to join the exclusive club of MLB players from the 49th State. Hailing from Anchorage, Alaska, brings numerous challenges that many other states don’t have. Yet Coen Niclai said he braved the weather, recruiting and the transfer portal to become a contributor on ASU’s team. 

With conditions that leave baseball fields covered in snow throughout the high school season and the sun setting after 10:30 p.m., Coen Niclai said baseball in Alaska is an evolving challenge that offers a unique experience for players.

Despite shoveling snow off the field to practice in March and facing mid-teens temperatures, Coen Niclai said the wintry conditions helped his team grow by providing an extra challenge.

“(It’s) free adversity,” Coen Niclai said. “Got to love it.”

Faced with a unique baseball climate, Coen Niclai said many teams within the Last Frontier have a gritty culture. 

While playing outdoors is possible during the summer, Coen Niclai said, the winter months force players to practice indoors.

During the wintertime, Coen Niclai said he often found himself inside a facility called the Dome, a multisports complex in Anchorage that offers a place to train away from the cold. 

With the outside being unbearable, Coen Niclai said he often went to the Dome to escape the elements and work on his game. 

“It's not too much fun outside when it's negative 20,” Coen Niclai said. “So go to the dome, have some fun.”

With the Alaskan winter, Coen Niclai said he's grateful for the space the dome provides for the young athletes in the Anchorage community. 

“We have a lot of opportunities within that dome, which is really great,” Coen Niclai said. “We're not lacking in the training area.”

Even during the summertime, the dome proves useful, as the 22- to 23-hour daylight and the unpredictable climate are mentally taxing for young athletes looking to practice, Coen Niclai said. 

“(You’ve) got to be positive,” Coen Niclai said. “It's definitely more of a mental game when you're nine months into the winter, and you're still trying to grind.

“Just remember what you're doing it for, especially within baseball and representing the state.”

While Coen Niclai says the weather makes it hard enough for athletes looking to reach the next level, Alaska's separation from the continental United States further challenges recruiting efforts. 

Coen Niclai said his recruiting process started over the phone then continued with back-and-forth emails with coaches, which inevitably led to camp invites around the country.

With opportunities being stretched thin, Coen Niclai said he took full advantage by playing in Perfect Game and Area Code baseball tournaments stateside.

Coen Niclai also credited his time with the Langley Blaze of the British Columbia Premier Baseball League as a key factor in his recruitment.

However, he said there was a price to leaving home. 

“If you leave, you'd better do good, because you only get a select few opportunities to do so,” Coen Niclai said. 

The catcher also believes talent is often overlooked when recruiting due to Alaska's isolation. 

“I'm not saying everybody that plays is really good, or that there are a ton of people that are overlooked,” Coen Niclai said. “When you leave Alaska, if you don't perform well in that situation or event, then it's hard to be valued because you're not seen as much.”

Regardless of sport, Coen Niclai said there is a stigma that the Last Frontier doesn’t have as much athletic talent as other states

“There's a lot of great athletes up there (in Alaska),” Coen Niclai said. “It's kind of out of the way, but we're definitely competing in a lot of different categories of sports where it doesn't seem like we usually do.”

Despite the struggles of being recruited in Alaska, Coen Niclai was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 15th round of the 2024 MLB Amateur Draft.

Yet Coen Niclai deferred the selection, opting to play collegiately in Eugene, Oregon, at the University of Oregon. 

Coen Niclai said he showed early interest in Oregon, later committing and beginning his career in the Lower 48.

“They (Oregon) were the first ones to kind of bite,” Coen Niclai said, “I jumped on it.”

However, Coen Niclai said his freshman season didn’t go as expected, as he started only eight games and hit .242 with one home run and four RBI.

Following the 2025 season, Coen Niclai entered the transfer portal in hopes of finding a home that could better suit his talent, he said.

Although his time with the Ducks was short, Coen Niclai said the coaching staff and team really helped him develop.

“It was a good group of guys,” Coen Niclai said. “It was nice to go into the clubhouse every day and just enjoy their company.”

Before committing his sophomore year, Coen Niclai took a detour, spending the summer in the New England Collegiate Baseball League with the Ocean State Waves.

In his time in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, Coen Niclai played in 20 games, posting a .266 average along with three home runs and 13 RBI. 

While Coen Niclai performed well out east, he said the distance from home proved difficult. Yet he credited his host family for helping him acclimate.

Following his summer, Coen Niclai eventually committed to the program with the most MLB draft selections in history: Arizona State University. 

Led by 14-year MLB veteran Willie Bloomquist and bench coach Mike Goff, who spent four seasons playing professionally, the Sun Devils' staff is loaded with experience, which Coen Niclai said attracted him during the recruiting process.

In addition to Bloomquist and Goff, assistant coach Jason Ellison and pitching coach Jeremy Accardo bring 14 years of MLB experience. 

“You have the highest baseball expertise that I think anybody in the country could offer,” Coen Niclai said. “The way they run things is amazing. 

“It's been great to come into this culture and really thrive.” 

As his career progresses, Coen Niclai continues to move farther away from Alaska and his family, a challenge he's currently working through at ASU, but said is necessary to reach the next level.

“It almost feels like you don't have a home, too much,” Coen Niclai said. “You just kind of make friends with where you're at and try to be as comfortable as possible. … You do your best with what you have.”

Despite the 3,671 miles separating Anchorage and Tempe, Coen Niclai said he still sees his family on occasion because his brother is pursuing a similar path in baseball at the next level.

“It's hit and miss, but when they do come down, we make the best of it,” Coen Niclai said.

In fact, Coen Niclai's younger brother, Rilen Niclai, is already set to follow in his older brother's footsteps, committing to Arizona State in December of 2025 out of the class of 2027. 

While Rilen Niclai awaits the transition to the Valley, Coen Niclai said the stark contrast between Alaska's and Arizona's climates proved difficult to adjust to. 

Despite the challenge, Coen Niclai said he’s adjusted quickly to the heat, finding positives in the desert atmosphere but occasionally missing those Alaskan spring days. 

“I could adjust pretty fast to the 90-to-95 range, but that August heat, where it's 110, 120, it's tough,” Coen Niclai said. “You'd rather take that, that zero to 20 degrees from Alaska sometimes.  

“It's great to wake up every morning and know that it's probably gonna be sunny.”

Ultimately, Coen Niclai said he looks to continue carving his path at ASU and remains inspired to reach the majors.

“I come here to the field every day with that macro goal in mind,” Coen Niclai said. “I think keeping that same mentality throughout, even the professional rankings it would allow me to attain that goal very easily.”

With his goals set and his future ahead of him, Coen Niclai’s motivation remains the same: to represent the Land of the Midnight Sun and the Valley.

“I'm determined, and I'm really excited to represent Arizona State and Alaska,”  Coen Niclai said.