You need the baffle. Keeps the oil around the pickup. If no baffle oil sloshes all over the place away from the pick up. Under certain circumstances can cause the crank and rods to be starved of oil. Can cause parasitic loss of HP due to the crank getting slowed down by slinging/sloshing oil.
Couple of options:
Find another pan, used or aftermarket.
Or get a beat up pan that has the baffle in it, cut it out and weld it in your pan.
I am doing the same thing right now with my pan. Bought a complete motor disassembled. Was more worried about inspecting the block and crank and heads didn't pay alot of attention to the oil pan. The prior owner had hacked up the baffle pretty bad. Looked like he did it to be able to reinstall it quickly with the motor still in the car. Now taking the baffle out of my dented pan and having it welded into the one that had the cut up baffle.
