By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications

PORTLAND, Ore. – An eventful finish to the 2026 regular season on Friday afternoon locked in the field for the upcoming Great Northwest Athletic Conference Baseball Championships, which kick off next week at Northwest Nazarene University.
 
The two-time reigning tournament champion Nighthawks earned the top seed for the tournament, going 25-7 during conference play to capture their fifth regular-season crown and third in-a-row. Montana State Billings will be the No. 2 seed into the conference tournament, after going 18-11 in league play to finish second in the standings. It took a sweep on the final weekend for Western Oregon to earn the third and final spot, as the Wolves rallied to take all four games from Saint Martin’s and finish 14-15 in GNAC play.
 
The 2026 GNAC Baseball Championships will air live on the GNAC Network, with Dustin Daniel and Evan O’Kelly providing play-by-play and color commentary. Live streams for all tournament games can be accessed online here. Live statistics will also be available for all games, accessible online here. Tickets for the event are available via online purchase here.
 
2026 GNAC Baseball Championships
May 7-8, 2026 – Vail Field – Nampa, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene University
All times listed are Mountain
Thursday, May 7
Game 1: 1 p.m. - No. 2 Seed Montana State Billings vs. No. 3 Seed Western Oregon
Game 2: 4 p.m. - No. 1 Seed Northwest Nazarene vs. No. 3 Seed Western Oregon
Game 3: 7 p.m. - No. 1 Seed Northwest Nazarene vs. No. 2 Seed Montana State Billings
 
Friday, May 8 (If Three Teams Remain Tied After Day 1)
Game 4: 3 p.m. - No. 2 Seed Montana State Billings vs. No. 3 Seed Western Oregon
Game 5: 6 p.m. - No. 1 Seed Northwest Nazarene vs. Winner Game 4
 
Friday, May 8 (If Two Teams Remain After Day 1)
Game 4: 3 p.m. - 2-0 Team vs. 1-1 Team
Game 5: Same Teams As Game 4 (If Necessary), 30 Minutes Following Game 4
 
Northwest Nazarene will make a bid to win its fifth GNAC Championships tournament title on its home field next week. It will mark the third time the GNAC Championships have been played at Vail Field, with NNU winning the tournament on each of the other two occasions first in 2016 and again in 2021. NNU will be making its 10th appearance at the conference tournament and its seventh in succession. The Nighthawks are 35-15 overall, securing their fifth 30-win season in the last six years.
 
The Nighthawks also maintain optimism to earn an NCAA West Region Championships at-large berth with a strong performance at the conference tournament. Entering this week ranked fifth in the latest regional rankings, the Nighthawks’ sweep of Central Washington in the regular-season finale combined with a sturdy tournament performance could be enough to secure their third consecutive trip to the NCAA playoffs. The NCAA will announce the complete field for the Division II national tournament on Sunday, May 10 at 10 p.m. (Eastern) via a live selection show on www.ncaa.com.
 
 
Second-seeded Montana State Billings will look for its second conference tournament victory in program history, with its first coming during the 2019 campaign. It will be the Yellowjackets’ second straight GNAC Championships appearance and ninth among the 13 total championships dating back to 2013. With one non-conference game left to play against Colorado School of Mines on Saturday, the Yellowjackets own an overall record of 26-20 this spring.
 
Storming up the standings in the final week, Western Oregon will see its season carry on having posted an overall record of 22-25. The Wolves have won the GNAC Championships a record six times, with the most recent tournament coming in 2023. After missing the GNAC Championships last season, WOU will be making its 11th all-time appearance at the event.