A few years ago, simply building a competitive program would have been an accomplishment. Now, the Vandals enter the 2026-27 season with a different standard: win another conference title, return to the regional tournament and finally make it through.
Idaho opens its season Saturday with a home series against Montana, beginning a short fall schedule that will give the Vandals an early test before a long winter break. There will be two games on Saturday starting at 10:30 a.m. at the Moscow Community Playfields. There will also be a 10:30 game on Sunday to cap the series.
Idaho will also play a series against Boise State on Oct. 17-18 before returning to action in late March against Washington State.
For a team that has reached the National Club Baseball Association regional tournament in each of the past two seasons, the fall portion of the schedule is less about collecting wins and more about figuring out what needs to be fixed before the spring.
“It is pretty crucial,” Idaho player and club secretary Owen Kudrna said. “Shows us what we need to work on in the winter offseason so we can be fully prepared come spring ball.”
The Vandals have already proven they can win.
Idaho went from winning just five games during its first several seasons in the NCBA to becoming back-to-back Rocky Mountain North Conference champions. The program has also reached the regional tournament in each of the past two seasons.
But neither regional appearance ended with the result Idaho wanted.
That has become the motivation for this year’s team.
“We’ve yet to prove anything by winning two conference championships and losing in the regional,” Kudrna said. “We are looking to take that next step to another level of play.”
For Idaho, that next step begins with playing its style of baseball consistently.
Kudrna described this year’s team as “hungry,” but said the Vandals still want to play with the loose, relaxed style that has become part of the program’s identity.
That balance will be important for a team that has already experienced what happens when it loses that identity.
During last year’s regional tournament, Kudrna said the Vandals approached the games with a different mindset than they had during the regular season. Instead of playing the loose baseball that had helped them reach the tournament, they put more pressure on themselves.
The result was a disappointing end to the season. The lesson was simple: Idaho cannot let the stakes change how it plays.
“It’s still just a game,” Kudrna said. “Having fun and playing loose is our brand of ball.”
That philosophy extends beyond the field.
Unlike an NCAA baseball program, Idaho’s club team does not have a traditional coaching staff. The players are responsible for organizing practices, managing the team’s finances, communicating with opponents and the NCBA, and holding one another accountable.
There is a student leadership structure, including a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer, but ultimately the responsibility belongs to the players.
That player-led structure has become one of the defining characteristics of the program.
For third-year pitcher Haiden Delong, it was initially an adjustment. Coming into Idaho, he didn’t know what to expect playing on a team without a coach. Instead, he found a system in which players had to take ownership of the program.
Over time, he said, that became part of what made the team successful. The program’s growth has also been reflected in its numbers.
Delong said the team struggled to field a full team before he arrived at Idaho. His freshman year, that number grew to around 15. Last season, there were about 20 players, and this year’s roster has grown to approximately 21.
The success has helped attract players who otherwise may not have had an opportunity to continue playing baseball in college.
“Because we’re winning, and we’ve been first in conference the last two years, it’s sparked kids to keep playing and come out and try out,” Delong said.
This year’s roster replaces eight players from last season’s team.
Kudrna said several first-year players have already helped fill those holes, particularly on the pitching staff.
The additions could provide Idaho with more depth on the mound as the team prepares for the spring portion of its schedule.
At the plate, the Vandals expect to remain one of the more dangerous offenses in their conference. Kudrna said Idaho’s confidence offensively allows the team to remain comfortable in high-scoring games.
But he identified one area that will need improvement: responding when things go wrong.
“Having adversity is a part of baseball and life,” Kudrna said. “We need to overcome bad innings because they inevitably happen in this sport.”
That ability to respond will be especially important during the spring, when conference games carry postseason implications.
For now, Idaho has two fall series to identify those weaknesses. The first comes against Montana, a familiar opponent and one that carries immediate importance.
“If we want a shot at playoffs, we need to win the series,” Kudrna said. “For the team, we love the rivalry.”
The Montana series will also serve as an early measuring stick for a team that has spent the offseason preparing to defend its conference championship.
Two weeks later, Idaho will face Boise State before putting the bats and gloves away for the winter.
Then comes the long wait. The Vandals will not return to game action until late March, when they face Washington State. That makes the lessons of the fall especially important.
The team will have months to address its weaknesses, build chemistry with its younger players and prepare for another conference race.
“Clinching another conference championship and finally getting over the hump in the regional tournament,” Kudrna said, describing what a successful season would look like.