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
Founded1924 (1924)
UniversityUniversity of Northern Colorado
Head coachCarl Iwasaki (10th season)
ConferenceWAC
LocationGreeley, Colorado
Home stadiumJackson Field
(Capacity: 1,500)
NicknameBears
ColorsBlue 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
See also: Jackson Field


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.

The Bears home dugout at Jackson Field, July 2015

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.
1924–1927George E. Cooper413–9–1.587
1928–1929George Cooper/Pete Brown26–3.667
1930–1940Pete Brown1154–58.482
1941–1942, 1945–1967Pete Butler25417–153–2.731
1943–1944World War II – No Team
1968–1970Thurman Wright343–35–1.551
1971–1985Tom Petroff15367–198–1.649
1986–1990John Barnes590–133.404
1991–2002Terry Hensley12289–284.504
2003–2010Kevin Smallcomb8195–235.453
2011–PresentCarl Iwasaki10195–300.394

Postseason appearances

NCAA Tournament
See also: NCAA Division I Baseball Championship and College World Series
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

Source:[11]

Awards and honors

All-Americans
YearPositionNameTeamSelector
1949PHarry Wise3rdABCA
1954OFRichard Porter2ndABCA
1956PJohn Hogg3rdABCA
1957PJohn Hogg3rdABCA
1957OFDel Peterson2ndABCA
1958CLarry Klumb3rdABCA
1959PDon Herrick3rdABCA
1961OFJohn Koehler3rdABCA
1967SSGreg Riddoch3rdABCA
1972CBob DeMeo2ndABCA
1973CBob DeMeo3rdABCA
1974CBob DeMeo3rdABCA
1982OFJordon Berge3rdABCA
1989OFTim Walstrom1stABCA
1990OFTim Walstrom1stABCA
20031BPhil Delich2ndABCA
2013OFNick Miller2ndABCA

Freshman All-Americans
YearPositionNameSelector
2012OFJensen Park[12]Louisville Slugger

Conference Player of the Year
YearConferencePositionName
2013Great WestOFJensen Park
2015WACOFJensen Park[13]

Conference Coach of the Year
YearConferenceName
2013Great WestCarl Iwasaki

References
  1. UNC Style Guide (PDF). May 18, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  2. Record Book (PDF). Northern Colorado Bears. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  3. "Outdoor Fields at UNC". www.unco.edu. University of Northern Colorado. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  4. 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.
  5. "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.
  6. "UNC baseball has fresh start in Great West". www.greeleytribune.com. Greeley Tribune. February 26, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  7. "University of Northern Colorado sports teams have best Division I seasons yet". www.greeleytribune.com. Greeley Tribune. June 2, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  8. "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.
  9. 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.
  10. "BSB Records Final 2017 Season" (PDF). www.uncbears.com. University of Northern Colorado. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  11. "Northern Colorado to join The Summit League as a baseball affiliate" (Press release). The Summit League. July 14, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  12. ""LOUISVILLE SLUGGER'S" FRESHMEN ALL-AMERICAN BASEBALL TEAM". www.baseballnews.com. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Inc. June 6, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  13. "2015 All-WAC Baseball Teams Announced". www.wacsports.com. Western Athletic Conference. May 19, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
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