Proposed return of baseball program may start by 2010

By: Chris Stafford

Posted: 7/24/08

For more than two decades baseball fans at UNT have had to travel to Arlington to enjoy a live game. For 21 years, UNT has not had a collegiate baseball program, since it was cut, along with men's soccer, in 1987.

But local fans of America's pastime may not have to wait much longer. Athletic Director Rick Villarreal said the athletic department has many objectives. While baseball is on that list, he said it isn't at the top, but building a program could start as early as 2010.

"I keep everything on my radar, but definitely the football stadium is what I wake up thinking about every morning," Villarreal said. "Once we secure the ability to start the football stadium and move forward, then my attention is probably going to turn to things like baseball."

The return of a baseball program to UNT has been an interest of Villarreal's for some time, but he said there have been more important student athlete issues to be addressed first.

"We weren't graduating kids at a high rate, and we weren't doing very well in the classroom," Villarreal said. "Those two things needed to be fixed immediately, but I've made it no secret that I would love to see baseball back on this campus."

Many students on campus share Villarreal's enthusiasm, such as business senior Aubrey Fitzhenry.

"It would be awesome if UNT got a baseball team," Fitzhenry said. "It would be fun to watch my favorite sport in a college setting."

Villarreal said the athletic department takes public and campus support for baseball seriously.

"We get a pretty wide request for it," Villarreal said. "We get inquiries every day from high school baseball players in the area, junior college baseball players, coaches and fans who think it would be great here."

Even though UNT has not had a collegiate baseball team play in more than 20 years, Villarreal is optimistic that it could have immediate success. "I know that we can be nationally competitive," Villarreal said. "I know that we can field a team here that can play with anybody in the country."

Once baseball is back at UNT, Villarreal is hopeful it will do great things for the campus and the community.

"It brings the entire outside community onto this campus on a more regular basis," he said. "Baseball I think lends itself to the community being more involved in the program and in the university."