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Northern Pacific Conference (baseball)

The Northern Pacific Conference (Nor-Pac) was formed for baseball for the 1975 season and comprised the NCAA programs in the Northwest not in the Pacific-8 Conference.[1][2][3] The Big Sky Conference had dropped sponsorship of the sport after the 1974 season,[4][5] and its three remaining baseball programs (Gonzaga, Idaho, Boise State) joined Portland State, Portland, Seattle U., and Puget Sound.[1][2][3][6][7] An eighth team, Eastern Washington, was added after the 1979 season.[8][9][10]

Idaho and Boise State dropped varsity baseball after the 1980 season,[11][12] as did Seattle U., and the five-team Nor-Pac played a seventh and final season in 1981.[10] Puget Sound dropped its program and the remaining four (GU, EWU, PSU, UP) joined the Northern division of the Pac-10 (as affiliate members, baseball only) for 1982;[13][14][15] Oregon also discontinued baseball after 1981,[16][17] which had left just three teams (Washington, Washington State, and Oregon State). In the Pac-10, the champion of the seven-team Northern division met the runner-up of the stronger six-team Southern division in a best-of-three series for the conference's second berth in the NCAA tournament.

Eastern Washington dropped baseball in 1990,[18][19] and Portland State eight years later; after 1995, Gonzaga and Portland moved their baseball to the West Coast Conference (WCC), where their other sports were.[20] Baseball returned at Oregon in 2009,[21] Seattle U. in 2010, and briefly at Boise State for a pandemic-shortened 2020 season before being eliminated a second time due to a budget reduction..

Champions

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Year Champion Runner-up Members Notes
1975 Puget Sound Gonzaga 7 [22]
1976 Gonzaga Boise State 7 [23]
1977 Portland State Gonzaga 7 [24]
1978 Gonzaga Portland State 7 [25]
1979 Portland Portland State 7 [26]
1980 Gonzaga Portland 8 [27]
1981 Gonzaga (4) E. Washington 5 [28][29]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Idaho, Gonzaga join new baseball circuit". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. June 24, 1974. p. 16.
  2. ^ a b "Portland State, Portland to play in baseball league". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). Associated Press. June 24, 1974. p. 12.
  3. ^ a b Jordan, Jeff (January 19, 1975). "Idea's time has arrived". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 3, sports.
  4. ^ "Idaho off probation, loop titles dwindle". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). May 5, 1974. p. 13.
  5. ^ "Baseball axed in Big Sky". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). May 29, 1974. p. 15.
  6. ^ "Vandals boast vets for baseball season". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). March 12, 1975. p. 13.
  7. ^ "Baseball: College - Northern Pacific". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). May 1, 1979. p. 25.
  8. ^ "EWU baseball team joins Nor-Pac league". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). June 6, 1979. p. 1B.
  9. ^ "Baseball: College - NorPac standings". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). May 7, 1980. p. B5.
  10. ^ a b "Baseball: Northern Pacific". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). (standings). May 16, 1981. p. 13.
  11. ^ "Boise State drops baseball program". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. May 6, 1980. p. C1.
  12. ^ Goodwin, Dale (May 13, 1980). "Baseball's 'out' at Idaho". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 19.
  13. ^ Van Sickel, Charlie (May 30, 1981). "Nor-Pac League dead; schools to join Pac-10". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 12.
  14. ^ "Pac-10 merger confirmed". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). August 14, 1981. p. 24.
  15. ^ Rodman, Bob (August 14, 1981). "Expanded ND baseball appears ready to roll". Eugene-Register Guard. (Oregon). p. 3B.
  16. ^ Rodman, Bob (May 7, 1981). "A gloomy day for Ducks' oldest program". Eugene-Register Guard. (Oregon). p. 1C.
  17. ^ "UO axes baseball, gymnastics". Eugene-Register Guard. (Oregon). May 7, 1981. p. 1C.
  18. ^ Boling, Dave (May 31, 1990). "Baseball, wrestling to go at EWU". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. C1.
  19. ^ "EWU cuts two sports; audit ends". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). June 19, 1990. p. C1.
  20. ^ Bergum, Steve (May 3, 1995). "Gonzaga leaving Pac-10 North". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C3.
  21. ^ "University of Oregon is bringing back baseball". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). Associated Press. July 14, 2007. p. 1B.
  22. ^ "WSU, UPs picked for NCAA action". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 19, 1975. p. 17.
  23. ^ "Idaho leaves cellar; Cougs triumph, too". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 12, 1976. p. 37.
  24. ^ "Northern Pacific baseball final standings". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 9, 1977. p. 19.
  25. ^ "Warriors in regionals, Zags gain title". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 18, 1978. p. 53.
  26. ^ "Northern Pacific standings". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, California). May 10, 1979. p. 42.
  27. ^ "Zags, Cougs, Bucs first". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 12, 1980. p. 21.
  28. ^ "Zags bucking big odds tonight". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 22, 1981. p. 21.
  29. ^ "Northern Pacific final standings". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 19, 1981. p. 19.
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