Randy Smith: Mocs' Baseball - Only A Dream

As the sap begins to rise in the trees and temperatures gradually get warmer, it can only mean one thing: spring and baseball are here. Major League teams have already begun spring training games, college teams have been playing for a couple of weeks now and high school teams are just two weeks away from opening up. Area middle schools have play days this week and weekend and they start for real on Monday. Locally, the Chattanooga Mocs are already playing games and they're off to a great start. WHAT???

Oh that's right that must just be a dream. The Mocs haven't had a baseball program in more than 40 years. My son wasn't even born when the Mocs had a baseball team and he's 40 years old. .I've written about this at least a dozen times in the last decade and there has never been a response from the University. Oh they did respond once by telling me UTC has a club team but really? That's it ? Maybe they're ignoring me hoping I'll just wither up and go away. Every time I write about this subject, I hear from a few new people who also support college baseball and are as appalled as I am that UTC doesn't have a program.

To recap, UTC dropped baseball in 1982 because in 1979, Title IX was created to give more equality for female athletes. Since then. nothing has changed at all. Title IX is still the excuse because the university can't afford it. As you may well know, I completely support Title IX but not at the expense of hurting male athletes.

Here are some numbers. There are 299 D-1 schools with baseball programs in the nation. UTC is not among them. To be totally fair to UTC however, there are quite a few schools nationwide who don't have baseball. Most of them are in northern states with really cold weather so that may be a little more understandable. Other similar schools without baseball are Tennessee State in Nashville and fellow Southern Conference member Furman. TSU dropped baseball in 1993 while Furman dropped it in 2020 as part of the COVID pandemic.

Chattanooga is right in the middle of a hotbed for baseball talent and baseball interest. It's been stated for many years that UTC could recruit within a 100 mile radius and put a more than competitive team on the field and that is more true today than ever. UTC also owns old, historic Engel Stadium, not far from campus. It would take some renovation but it could be made ready for college baseball without a lot of trouble.

Before 1982 when baseball ceased to exist at UTC, the Mocs were competitive. They regularly defeated SEC teams. and put a great product on the field. As for the Mocs' club team, they are certainly competitive, with a 9-6 record but it's not at all like a varsity program.

I know my column will likely go unnoticed or if it is noticed, it will once again be ignored. If enough people can get together and make some noise, it might make the university powers that be stand up and take notice. If not....well we can still dream.