PORTLAND, Ore. --- The University of Portland baseball program is adding three more recruits as Noah Cracknell (C, San Luis Obispo, Calif./San Luis Obispo HS), Nick Nygard (LHP, Vancouver, Wash./Columbia River HS), and Nate Packard (RHP, Puyallup, Wash./Emerald Ridge HS/Tacoma CC) have committed to the Pilots and will join the roster in the fall, announced head coach Geoff Loomis. Both Cracknell and Nygard come to The Bluff as freshmen, while Packard is a junior transfer and will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Pilots.
 
Noah Cracknell is a catcher who helped lead the San Luis Obispo Tigers to a pair of Pac-8 League titles, and he earned first-team all-conference as a senior. In 2018 he led the league with 33 RBI's, while hitting .348. He was also tops in the conference in throwing out would-be base stealers, and as a junior he led the Tigers in home runs. A second-team all-league pick as a sophomore, Cracknell nabbed the team's Black and Gold Leadership Award, and during his senior campaign he caught every pitch of a no-hitter. In 2017, he was named to the Perfect Game California World Series All-Tournament Team.
 
"Noah is a physical catcher who had an MVP type of season for his high school team," said Loomis. "He will compete immediately behind the dish for us and he has an extremely high ceiling. To add such a talent to our club is exciting."
 
A left-handed pitcher out of Vancouver, Nick Nygard is a two-time selection to the All-GSHL First Team. As a senior, Nygard struck out a team-best 70 in 36.0 innings pitched, and he led the staff in opponents' batting average while posting a WHIP of 1.1. Nygard nabbed second-team all-league as a sophomore, and he helped lead the Chieftains to a conference championship in 2016 and a pair of Final Eight appearances at state. During the summer after his junior year, Nygard tossed back-to-back no-hitters, combining to strike out 32 in those two games. He was also a part of two combined no-hitters this spring. In the fall of 2017, Nygard was invited to represent Baseball Northwest in Arizona.
 
"Nick is a local product with a good three-pitch mix," Loomis said. "He had tremendous success this year as his team's ace, and we're thrilled to bring Nick into the Pilot family."
 
Nate Packard is a right-handed pitcher who spent the past two years at Tacoma Community College. Originally from Puyallup, Wash., Packard tossed a no-hitter against Grays Harbor while at TCC. He also helped the Titans win a regional to advance to the 2017 NWAC Tournament. At Emerald Ridge High School, Packard earned First Team All-SPSL as a pitcher his junior year and he landed first-team all-league accolades as a utility player his senior season. A two-year team captain, Packard helped the Jaguars reach the state tourney in 2016. He K'd 13 in a game as a senior, and that same year he provided a game-winning, three-run double during a win over Puyallup.
 
"Nate is a pit bull on the mound who immediately adds depth to our starting pitching," noted Loomis. "He's a proven winner that has a solid three-pitch mix, and we're excited to add a veteran arm like Nate to our staff."