Northern Colorado Bears baseball
Northern Colorado Bears baseball is the varsity intercollegiate team representing University of Northern Colorado in the sport of college baseball in the NCAA Division I. The team is led by Carl Iwasaki, and plays its home games at Jackson Field on campus in Greeley, Colorado. The Bears are baseball members of the Western Athletic Conference, which they joined prior to the 2014 season,[2] but will leave for the Summit League after the 2021 season.
| Northern Colorado Bears | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1924 |
| University | University of Northern Colorado |
| Head coach | Carl Iwasaki (10th season) |
| Conference | WAC |
| Location | Greeley, Colorado |
| Home stadium | Jackson Field (Capacity: 1,500) |
| Nickname | Bears |
| Colors | Blue and Gold[1] |
| College World Series appearances | |
| 1952, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1974 | |
| NCAA Tournament appearances | |
| Division II: 1994, 1998 Division I: 1974, 1975, 1976 College Division: 1971, 1972, 1973 No Divisions: 1949, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968 | |
| Conference tournament champions | |
| NCC: 1998 GPAC: 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 RMC: 1971, 1972 | |
| Conference champions | |
| GWC: 2013 NCC: 1998 GPAC: 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 RMC: 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1972 | |
Prior to the split into Division, the Bears reached the College World Series nine times, and again in 1974 at the Division I level for a total of ten appearances, compiling a record of 3–20. The school was known as Colorado State College until 1970, when the school changed to its present name. This is not to be confused with the current Colorado State University, which was known as Colorado A&M until 1957.
Venue
The Bears play baseball home games at Jackson Field, which holds 1,500.[3] Jackson Field has hosted NCAA regionals in 1952, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1962 and 1974.
History
Northern Colorado first fielded a baseball team from 1924[4] to 1942, taking a break during World War II and returned to play in 1945, under Pete Butler, who returned to his post as head coach after serving in the United States Navy.[5]
After playing as a Division I Independent following their return to Division I play in 2004, the Bears joined the Great West Conference for the 2010 season.[6] The Bears captured the 2013 regular season Great West Conference championship, their first conference championship since 1998.[7] When the Great West League became defunct, the Bears joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).[8]
Following the 2021 season, the Bears announced they would join the Summit League to help control costs.[9]
Head coaches
- Records are through March 11, 2020
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924–1927 | George E. Cooper | 4 | 13–9–1 | .587 |
| 1928–1929 | George Cooper/Pete Brown | 2 | 6–3 | .667 |
| 1930–1940 | Pete Brown | 11 | 54–58 | .482 |
| 1941–1942, 1945–1967 | Pete Butler | 25 | 417–153–2 | .731 |
| 1943–1944 | World War II – No Team | |||
| 1968–1970 | Thurman Wright | 3 | 43–35–1 | .551 |
| 1971–1985 | Tom Petroff | 15 | 367–198–1 | .649 |
| 1986–1990 | John Barnes | 5 | 90–133 | .404 |
| 1991–2002 | Terry Hensley | 12 | 289–284 | .504 |
| 2003–2010 | Kevin Smallcomb | 8 | 195–235 | .453 |
| 2011–Present | Carl Iwasaki | 10 | 195–300 | .394 |
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Postseason appearances
NCAA Tournament
| Year | Site | Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Bovard Field | 1–2 | West Regional |
| 1951 | Unknown | 2–0 | Won District VII Playoff |
| 1952 | Jackson Field | 2–0 | Won District VII Playoff |
| 1952 | Omaha Municipal Stadium | 0–2 | CWS Seventh Place |
| 1953 | Derks Field | 2–1 | Won District VII Playoff |
| 1953 | Omaha Municipal Stadium | 0–2 | CWS Seventh Place |
| 1954 | Jackson Field | 1–2 | Lost District VII Playoff |
| 1955 | Jackson Field | 2–1 | Won District VII Playoff |
| 1955 | Omaha Municipal Stadium | 1–2 | CWS Fifth Place |
| 1956 | Jackson Field | 1–2 | Lost District VII Playoff |
| 1957 | Jackson Field | 2–1 | Won District VII Playoff |
| 1957 | Omaha Municipal Stadium | 0–2 | CWS Seventh Place |
| 1958 | Cougar Field | 1–2 | Lost District VII Playoff |
| 1958 | Omaha Municipal Stadium | 1–2 | CWS Fifth Place |
| 1959 | Jackson Field | 2–1 | Won District VII Playoff |
| 1959 | Omaha Municipal Stadium | 0–2 | CWS Seventh Place |
| 1960 | Derks Field | 2–1 | Won District VII Playoff |
| 1960 | Omaha Municipal Stadium | 0–2 | CWS Seventh Place |
| 1961 | Unknown | 3–1 | Won District VII Playoff |
| 1961 | Omaha Municipal Stadium | 0–2 | CWS Seventh Place |
| 1962 | Jackson Field | 3–0 | Won District VII Playoff |
| 1962 | Omaha Municipal Stadium | 0–2 | CWS Seventh Place |
| 1963 | UA Field | 0–3 | Lost District VII Playoff |
| 1964 | Falcon Baseball Field | 0–2 | Lost District VII Playoff |
| 1965 | Phoenix Municipal Stadium | 2–4 | Lost District VII Playoff |
| 1966 | Jackson Field | 0–2 | Lost District VII Playoff |
| 1968 | Unknown | 1–2 | Lost District VII Playoff |
| 1971 | Unknown | 3–2 | Lost Midwest Regional |
| 1972 | Unknown | 2–2 | Lost Midwest Regional |
| 1973 | Unknown | 2–2 | Lost Midwest Regional |
| 1974 | Jackson Field | 4–1 | Won District VII Playoff |
| 1974 | Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium | 0–2 | CWS Seventh Place |
| 1975 | Packard Stadium | 0–2 | Lost Rocky Mountain Regional |
| 1976 | Bailey Field | 0–2 | Lost West Regional |
| 1994 | Mules’ Field | 0–2 | Lost Central Regional |
| 1998 | Mules’ Field | 0–2 | Lost Central Regional |
| Total | – | 40–60 | (38–40 regionals) (0–0 super reg.) (2–20 CWS) |
Source:[10]
Conference affiliations
- Rocky Mountain Conference: 1924–1972
- Great Plains Athletic Conference: 1973–1976
- Division I Independent: 1977–1990
- North Central Conference 1991–2003
- Division I Independent: 2004–2009
- Great West Conference: 2010–2013
- Western Athletic Conference: 2014–2021
- Summit League: 2022–
Source:[11]
Awards and honors
All-Americans
| Year | Position | Name | Team | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | P | Harry Wise | 3rd | ABCA |
| 1954 | OF | Richard Porter | 2nd | ABCA |
| 1956 | P | John Hogg | 3rd | ABCA |
| 1957 | P | John Hogg | 3rd | ABCA |
| 1957 | OF | Del Peterson | 2nd | ABCA |
| 1958 | C | Larry Klumb | 3rd | ABCA |
| 1959 | P | Don Herrick | 3rd | ABCA |
| 1961 | OF | John Koehler | 3rd | ABCA |
| 1967 | SS | Greg Riddoch | 3rd | ABCA |
| 1972 | C | Bob DeMeo | 2nd | ABCA |
| 1973 | C | Bob DeMeo | 3rd | ABCA |
| 1974 | C | Bob DeMeo | 3rd | ABCA |
| 1982 | OF | Jordon Berge | 3rd | ABCA |
| 1989 | OF | Tim Walstrom | 1st | ABCA |
| 1990 | OF | Tim Walstrom | 1st | ABCA |
| 2003 | 1B | Phil Delich | 2nd | ABCA |
| 2013 | OF | Nick Miller | 2nd | ABCA |
Freshman All-Americans
| Year | Position | Name | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | OF | Jensen Park[12] | Louisville Slugger |
Conference Player of the Year
| Year | Conference | Position | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Great West | OF | Jensen Park |
| 2015 | WAC | OF | Jensen Park[13] |
Conference Coach of the Year
| Year | Conference | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Great West | Carl Iwasaki |
References
- UNC Style Guide (PDF). May 18, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- Record Book (PDF). Northern Colorado Bears. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
- "Outdoor Fields at UNC". www.unco.edu. University of Northern Colorado. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- Samuel G. Mustari (May 13, 2020). "Strong past can lead way for UNC in future on diamond". www.greeleytribune.com. Greeley Tribune. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- "Pete Butler, baseball and basketball coach at Colorado State College of Education (later named Colorado State College), 1940–1967". www.digarch.unco.edu. University of Northern Colorado. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- "UNC baseball has fresh start in Great West". www.greeleytribune.com. Greeley Tribune. February 26, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- "University of Northern Colorado sports teams have best Division I seasons yet". www.greeleytribune.com. Greeley Tribune. June 2, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- "Week in Weld: The University of Northern Colorado baseball team is all set to compete in the WAC". www.greeleytribune.com. Greeley Tribune. March 26, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- Jayden Watson-Fisher (July 21, 2020). "UNC baseball will reduce travel time, cost with conference change". www.greeleytribune.com. Greeley Tribune. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- "BSB Records Final 2017 Season" (PDF). www.uncbears.com. University of Northern Colorado. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- "Northern Colorado to join The Summit League as a baseball affiliate" (Press release). The Summit League. July 14, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
- ""LOUISVILLE SLUGGER'S" FRESHMEN ALL-AMERICAN BASEBALL TEAM". www.baseballnews.com. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Inc. June 6, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- "2015 All-WAC Baseball Teams Announced". www.wacsports.com. Western Athletic Conference. May 19, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2020.