During the first six years of the Big Sky Conference, the Vandals won four titles under two head coaches, Wayne Anderson (1964, 1966)[5] and John G. Smith (1967, 1969).
[10] For a final season, the Vandals also played in the five-team Northern Division (of the defunct PCC),[11] but were 5–11 in league games and finished last.
[9][12][13] During the final weekend of the season, Idaho upset Palouse neighbor Washington State in Pullman to eliminate the Cougars from title contention as Oregon took a two-game lead to clinch;[14][15] WSU won the next day in Moscow.
Led by senior pitcher Bill Stoneman with a 0.45 ERA, Idaho advanced to the NCAA postseason for the first time with a 31–7 regular season record.
[21] In addition to Stoneman, the Vandal pitching staff included future major leaguer Frank Reberger of Caldwell; both signed with the Chicago Cubs' organization after the season.
[33] Idaho swept two from Air Force at home in Moscow to advance,[34] then lost on the road in the District 7 finals at Mesa to host Arizona State,[35][36][37] the eventual CWS champion.
The Big Sky expanded to eight teams in the summer of 1970, all with baseball, and split into two divisions for the 1971 season with a three-game playoff to determine the champion.
Ken Schrom of Grangeville was selected in the tenth round of the 1973 MLB Draft as a high school senior, but opted for college.
[53][54] The southern portion of the permanent football seating, adjacent to left field,[55] was excess capacity for baseball and was removed during World War II.
[60][61] It was razed after the enclosure of the Kibbie Dome in 1975 and was soon occupied by additional outdoor tennis courts; the trees that were along its east wall continue to stand.
[59] After the 1966 season, construction of the new College of Education building began behind home plate,[62][63] and a new baseball field was built at the northwest area of campus, just south of Paradise Creek (and Pullman Road) (46°43′54″N 117°01′10″W / 46.7316°N 117.0195°W / 46.7316; -117.0195).