College Baseball Tournament Coming to Boise

College baseball is coming to Boise. For the first time ever, the National Club Baseball Association (NCBA) is hosting its Northern Pacific Regional Tournament in Boise at Hawks Memorial Stadium.

The tournament will take place May 13-15 and features teams from the south, north and west conferences. Four participating teams will visit the city. The Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau (BCVB), working in tandem with the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, recruited the tournament to Boise.

“I’m pleased to see more sporting events choosing Boise,” said Carrie Westergard, executive director of the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The National College Baseball tournament is a welcome addition to a busy year in Boise.”

In 2015 the BCVB supported large-scale events hosted in Boise, like the U.S. Youth Soccer Far West Tournament and Basque Friendly Soccer. There were 13 sporting events held in 2015 with 23,248 resulting room nights. So far in 2016, 15 sporting events are booked and more than 23,000 room nights are scheduled—15,000 solely for the 2016 Far West Soccer Tournament.

“It’s a pleasure to combine a chamber member, Boise Hawks, with a sporting event like the Northern Pacific Regional College Baseball Tournament,” said Bill Connors, CEO of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce. “The tournament is an example of how collaboration between the Chamber and Boise CVB can positively impact Boise’s economy and vibrancy, and is another reason to invest in sports stadium infrastructure.”

For the previous two years, the NCBA tournament has been held in Missoula, Montana. Christian Smith, NCBA Vice President of Baseball Operations and Team Development said Boise was enticing to the NCBA because of its central location for teams in the Northern Pacific Region, as well as the quality venue of the Hawks Memorial Stadium.

“The NCBA is extremely excited to bring the 2016 Northern Pacific Regional Tournament to Boise, Idaho and Hawks Memorial Stadium,” Smith said. “Boise will be an experience the participating teams will not forget. The NCBA has to thank the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau, Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, Better Boise Coalition and the Boise Hawks for all their hard work to make this event possible. Hopefully, we will be able to make this a long-term relationship where the Northern Pacific Regional will have a home for years to come.”

The tournament will be open to the public. Cost of admission will range from $5 day pass rates and $10 tournament passes. For children under 12, veterans, and 65+ it will be a $3 day pass and $7 tournament pass. On Saturday during the tournament, little league players wearing their jerseys will get in free with a paid adult.

At the event, four teams will qualify for a double elimination tournament with the winner moving onto the National Championship in Paducah, KY. One team in each region (North, South and West) will be named conference champions, and one will be an at-large selection chosen by NCBA. Last year’s Champion, the University of Oregon, went on to win the 2015 NCBA Division I National Championship. The four participating teams have not been announced yet, but will include clubs from the following conferences:

• Northern Pacific West Conference: University of Oregon Club Baseball, Central Oregon Community College, Oregon State University Club Baseball, Seattle University Club Baseball, Southern Oregon University Club Baseball, University of Washington Club Baseball
• Northern Pacific North Conference: Eastern Washington University Club Baseball, University of Montana Club Baseball, Western Washington University Club Baseball, University of Idaho Club Baseball, Gonzaga University Club Baseball, Washington State University Club Baseball
• Northern Pacific South Conference: Weber State University Club Baseball, Idaho State University Club Baseball, Montana State University Club Baseball, Boise State Club Baseball, Utah State Club Baseball

The Northern Pacific Region has been the most successful region as of late. The winner of this regional has won three of the last four National Championships (Utah State in 2012 and 2014 and the University of Oregon in 2015).

About the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau: The Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau is a nonprofit organization that works to enhance the City of Boise's economy through the marketing, promotion and selling of the city and region as a site for conventions, corporate meetings, trade shows, leisure travel, cultural, sports, and special events. Each year, Boise hosts hundreds of meetings and special events, which are significant contributors to the local economy. The Boise CVB was established in 1982.

About the National Club Baseball Association: The National Club Baseball Association (NCBA) is the national governing body for collegiate club Baseball.  The NCBA is driven to provide collegiate student athletes with the opportunity to participate in competitive, organized club baseball and to continually enhance the experience for all participants. It was founded in 2000 with 32 member teams. In the 2015-16 season, the association is up to 285 member teams all across the country. 

About the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce: Established in 1883, the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce strives to be the leading business advocacy organization in the Boise Valley. The Boise Metro Chamber is a private, nonprofit, membership-driven organization comprised of more than 1,800 business enterprises, civic organizations, education institutions and individuals. Its mission is to provide leadership that will help create regional economic prosperity and success for its members.

Better Boise Coalition: The Better Boise Coalition (BBC) is a group of more than 250 Boise-area companies and citizens working to bring a new stadium complex to Boise to attract and retain professional sports and events to the area.