Nighthawks 2025 Schedule Preview
The Northwest Nazarene University Nighthawks baseball program enters the 2025 season looking to build upon their successful 2024 campaign. Last season, they captured both the GNAC regular season and tournament championships, earning a bid to the NCAA West Regionals. Furthermore, the upcoming schedule features 48 regular season games, including 28 Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) contests.
The season begins with an extensive road stretch spanning multiple states. The Nighthawks open their campaign with a four-game series at Biola University in La Mirada, California, on January 31st. The road journey continues with three games at Sonoma State University on February 3-4, followed by a three-game series at Chico State from February 6-8.
Moving eastward, NNU travels to Colorado for a four-game series against Colorado State Pueblo from February 13-15. The Nighthawks’ home opener at Elmore W. Vail Field in Nampa, Idaho, comes against Colorado Mesa with a four-game series from February 20-22.
GNAC conference play begins on February 28 as Northwest Nazarene visits Western Oregon for four games. The conference schedule follows a consistent format of four-game series, typically with doubleheaders on consecutive days. The GNAC portion of the schedule includes series against Montana State Billings, Central Washington, Saint Martin’s, and additional matchups with WOU.
The home schedule begins March 7-8 when Montana State Billings visits Nampa for four games. Other home conference series include Central Washington (March 14-15), Western Oregon (April 4-5), and the regular season concludes at home against Saint Martin’s (April 25-26).
The Nighthawks will play 20 home games at Elmore W. Vail Field and 28 road games across five different states: California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Montana.
For the full schedule, tap HERE (to NNUSports website) For more D2 content, tap HERE.
About Elmore W. Vail Field
FROM NNUSPORTS.COM — Opened on March 4th, 1994, Elmore W. Vail Field is the home for the NNU baseball program. The facility is named after Elmore Vail, the head baseball coach at Northwest Nazarene for 16 years from 1959-74.
A dedication ceremony was held on May 7, 1994. Coach Vail, a 1949 Northwest Nazarene grad, held many roles while at NNU, including head baseball coach, head basketball coach, assistant basketball coach, Associate Dean of Students, Athletic Director, Intramural Director, and professor and chair of the Department of Physical Education. He was also basketball coach and athletic director at Trevecca Nazarene University from 1975-78. In 1984 he was inducted into the NAIA District 2 Coaches Hall of Fame, followed by an induction into the NNU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990.
Vail Field has gone through numerous upgrades over the years, with recent additions being the grandstand and seating behind home plate in 2018, turf infield in 2022, and improvements to the dugouts and netting in 2022 and 2023.
In 2021, Vail Field played host to the GNAC Championships and the NCAA West Regional. The Nighthawks won both tournaments, including a thrilling regional final against Western Oregon. That sent NNU to its first NCAA DII College World Series in program history.
Vail Field also hosts numerous events over the summer months, including rounds of the Idaho HS State Championships, youth and travel ball tournaments, and youth clinics.
