NCAA Baseball comes back to the UO

NCAA Baseball is coming back to the University of Oregon! Not this season, but the season after next (2008-09). The decision was announced Friday to bring back baseball, add women's competitive cheer, and drop wrestling. Oregon has been without an NCAA baseball team for over 25 years now, the last season being 1980-81, although we've had a PAC-9 club team. Baseball was the first sport to be played at Oregon, 130 years ago, just 1 year after the university opened its doors, and I'm among the many eager for its return. They're not sure where they're going to play yet, given that Howe Field has been strictly a softball field since '87, but they're waiting to decide until they get input from the incoming staff, projected to be in place by the fall.

I am happy to see baseball come back. Our club team has been great the last few years, so we have a strong base to bring it back already, and it's just a great college sport. Plus, with the success of Oregon St. lately, which we can thank for the return I'm sure, people will be looking to come to this state and play. Given the success of both OSU's team and our club team lately, I'm hopeful that we'll have an intense Civil War from the first meeting. Since we won't be around for another season though, we'll let them pick up a 3-peat before we beat them. All of you who just scoffed at that comment, please remind me of OSU's PAC-10 record last season? We have a shot.

While baseball will be awesome, it's too bad we had to drop wrestling. Why? I'm not sure, I guess just because I've watched all the crap they've had to go through over these last couple years, being kicked out of their home during the remodel, having to move into the student rec center, and now finally being put out of their misery. Sorry guys. Title IX's a bitch. Just ask the baseball team...

What do you guys think?