Hosting conference tourney action is a Boise State softball goal. It needs lights first

What a difference a year can make.

If someone had asked him last year, Boise State softball coach Justin Shults would have said he wasn’t in favor of the Mountain West ending its regular season with a conference tournament.

Then the Broncos went on a hot streak.

Boise State ended last season with 12 straight wins and set program records with 19 conference wins and 74 home runs. The Broncos went 40-10, tying the program record for wins in a season — but still missed the NCAA Tournament.

Shults gathered the team in the Stueckle Sky Center in Alberstons Stadium to watch the selection show. He knew they probably weren’t going to make the cut, but he said the experience was still beneficial.

“I wanted them to feel that disappointment and for it to fuel us,” Shults told the Idaho Statesman. “We know what our purpose is and why we’re showing up every day and grinding it out.”

The Broncos will have a chance to play their way into the postseason this year. The Mountain West champion will be decided by a tournament for the first time since 2006.

The top two seeds in the tourney get a bye to the final four. Teams 3-6 will meet in a single-elimination bracket, with the winners advancing to play the top two teams in a double-elimination format to decide the champion. That team will earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Defending champion San Diego State will be the host this year. Moving forward, the team that wins the title will have the first opportunity to host the following year.

The chance to have a postseason tournament at Dona Larsen Park is all the motivation Shults needs to do whatever it takes to guide the Broncos to their first conference title since 2018. And it’s not just because it would result in more eyes on the program.

Schools have to meet a long list of facilities requirements just to be eligible to host the conference tournament, and right now, Boise State lacks a major one: lights.

Shults said winning a title this year could help the push for upgrades he’s been seeking since he was hired in June 2021.

“As long as we’re constantly upgrading and showing growth, that’s going to allow us to continue to go after top-tier recruits,” Shults said.

Fields, fences and the distance from home plate to the backstop all must meet NCAA standards, according to the Mountain West handbook. Concessions and an athletic training facility must be on-site, and a minimum of two warm-up areas with batting cages must be available.

Boise State has the batting cages and training facility, Shults said, adding that the Broncos also have access to a warm-up field in the Dona Larsen complex and the Caven-Williams indoor practice facility.

He said the Broncos meet the conference’s requirement of seating for at least 400 fans. Dona Larsen Park has bleachers that can seat 380 fans and a berm beyond the outfield fence that can accommodate more than 300, according to Boise State.

The Broncos also meet the conference’s requirement of an electronic scoreboard and public address system. The video board that was once in the north end zone of Albertsons Stadium now stands just beyond the right field fence at Dona Larsen.

The softball team actually will have two scoreboards beyond the outfield fence this year, Shults said. The old scoreboard is still standing in left field.

“It probably looked kind of small in the stadium, but it looks pretty sweet out here,” Shults said of the new board. “I’m really excited to see all the graphics and packages our media folks puts together. It’s going to make a big difference on game day.”

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The Mountain West also requires that schools hosting the conference tournament provide adequate restrooms and parking for teams, fans and umpires, covered dugouts, a tarp and bullpens that are comparable in size and distance from the dugout.

Shults said Boise State meets all of those requirements.

But the very significant holdup is the lack of lights at Dona Larsen Park, which means the Broncos can’t accommodate night games.

Boise State Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey suggested the team could use portable lights if the need were to arise. Shults said he’d love to see the university invest in permanent lighting, but he’s in favor of doing whatever can bring the Mountain West tournament to Boise as soon as possible.

Investing in lights and turf are the next steps in the Broncos’ evolution into a consistent competitor on the national stage, the coach said.

“It’s about getting more home games, playing later in the day and doing whatever it takes to get fans in the seats,” Shults said. “Softball is growing. The quicker we get lights and turf, the sooner the community is going to show up and support this team.”

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Shults has been hard at work adding home games to Boise State’s schedule. The Broncos host 18 games this year, beginning with a doubleheader against Portland State on March 11. They welcome defending Mountain West champion San Diego State to town April 28-30.

The Broncos played just 12 homes games last season; Shults said his goal is 18 to 20 a year.

The Broncos are 7-7 this season. They opened the Stanford Invitational with a 4-2 win against Michigan over the weekend, but they lost to the Wolverines in game two and dropped back-to-back games against the Cardinal.

Boise State opens the Grand Canyon University Invitational in Phoenix, Arizona, against Washington on Friday. The Broncos’ first Mountain West game is at UNLV on March 17.