Boise State unveils baseball uniforms – KTVB
BOISE – After Boise State announced last month that it was terminating its wrestling program and looking to reinstate a baseball program, university President Bob Kustra speculated it would likely be at least a couple years before they could field a baseball team.
But apparently its never too early to start thinking about uniform combinations. Taking a cue from the school’s other high-profile programs, namely football, the university on Wednesday released a series of baseball uniform mock-ups.
Boise State says its athletic and licensing departments worked with Nike to develop “a custom and eye-catching look for the Broncos.” The result is five different uniforms – Pinstripes, Gray on Gray, Blue, Orange, Throw-back, and Cream.
(In the KTVB App, click here to see the gallery)
The release of the uniform combos comes just weeks after the school announced its intention to bring back the baseball program. At the time, Kustra told KTVB’s Jay Tust that the decision to eliminate the wrestling program was a difficult one to make, but that it was necessary as the university looks to sync its programs with the rest of the Mountain West Conference. That meant bringing back baseball and scrapping wrestling.
MORE: Q&A: Looking to the future, Boise State president talks wrestling, baseball
Meanwhile, there has been a concerted effort on behalf of wrestling supporters to save the program. An online petition has garnered more than 17,000 signatures, and a gofundme account has raised nearly $65,000 of its $500,000 goal. However, Kustra has said that the decision to eliminate wrestling was final.
The release of the baseball uniform combinations may be an effort to move on from the controversial decision, as well as a way to get fans – and potential players – excited about the future of Boise State athletics.
Here is a look at each combination, with descriptions provided by the university:
Baseball purity is blended seamlessly with what Boise State has become synonymous for: modern design and striking colors. Dedicated home and away jerseys for game one of each weekend series are complemented by sharp, crisp blue and orange looks to round out any three-game set. An authentic throwback pays homage to Boise State’s original lads of leather and lumber, while a classic cream-colored option reintroduces a script font from yesteryear.
Tradition calls for home uniforms to have a white base and display the team’s nickname across the front of the jersey. The opposite applies to road threads, which are to be gray with the school name emblazoned on the chest. Boise State’s ensemble delivers in style.
Each set is manufactured in the Nike Vapor Elite style for maximum movement and breathability.
PINSTRIPES
Opening night of every home series will see the Broncos take the field dressed in a white uniform with blue pinstripes. The wordmark “Broncos” logo races across the full-button front. The blue logo outlined in orange rests just above the number, which follows the same color pattern. The primary Bronco head logo is stitched into the right sleeve, opposite a blue and orange Mountain West logo on the left arm.
GRAY ON GRAY
Boise State will begin every road series with the traditional gray-on-gray combination. The set closely resembles the home look, trading the white base and pinstripes for a solid gray foundation and swapping out the wordmark logo to allow “Boise State” to fill the upper chest. The rest of the jersey keeps the same staples with a primary mark and Mountain West logo on the right and left sleeves, respectively.
CELEBRATE THE ORANGE AND BLUE
No Boise State uniform set would be complete without fully incorporating the University’s primary colors of orange and blue. The jerseys are nearly mirror images. The blue top features a large primary logo on the left chest, with large orange numbers on the back outlined in white. Orange piping on the sleeve and placket complete the clean look. The orange top features the same logo, blue piping and blue numbers outlined in white. With the option to wear each top with almost any of the pants and hats, the possibilities are virtually endless. You never know what spice the Broncos might bring to a Saturday game, and the midweek competitions offer a great opportunity to showcase the creativity available with this uniform set.
THROW IT BACK
The return of baseball is a celebration of Boise State’s future and its past. A varsity sport from 1936 to 1980, baseball endured as the school, region and nation underwent massive change. When football went on hiatus during the war years of the mid-1940s, baseball provided an outlet for the students and the community. Major League pitchers Larry Jackson and Pat House carried the Boise Junior College squad through the 1950s. The team churned out more draft picks and future pros during the next two decades as Boise State College transitioned to a four-year school. The final years of the program saw the most success, consistently finishing in the top half of the Northern Pacific League during the mid-1970s, before baseball was cut following the 1980 season.
Boise State’s throwback uniforms feature an authentic rendition of the 1968 look. The white jersey features “Broncos” stitched across the front in blue block letters. Blue piping down the front placket finish the retro top, matched with blue piping along the sides of the white pants. The unique hat really sets this combo apart. An all blue cap with white block-letter “B” ties together the authentic throwback uniform.
CREAM CLASSICS
The cherry on top of Boise State’s baseball jersey collection is a classic cream-colored alternate option. Cream uniforms have been a staple in clubhouses since baseball jerseys were made of flannel, when perfect white was impossible to come by. The color is not the only thing evoking memories of the past. “Broncos” is written in script across the front of the jersey, similar to the script logo used on Boise State’s football helmets during the late 1990s. The script is matched by blue numbers on the front and back, outlined in orange. The retro uniform is brought into modern day with a multi-colored, blue and orange striping on the sleeves and placket plus Boise State’s primary logo on the right sleeve.
BONUS: The alternate jersey opens the door for even more options, including the creamsicle combination with the orange jersey over cream pants.
© 2017 KTVB-TV