Dissolution of UTB-TSC baseball program upsets many

The end of the UTB-TSC baseball program has sent ripples throughout Brownsville, unearthing again the tensions of failed partnership negotiations, leaving students in a lurch, raising questions about how the decision was made and disturbing residents and alumni.

It appears that the one overwhelmingly shared sentiment is that the end of the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College baseball program is a monumental disappointment.

“I just think as part of a family, which as a university we’re supposed to be, this is kind of like removing a family member without giving them a chance to save themselves,” Matt Warner, a recent UTB-TSC baseball team alumni based out of Austin, said.

By Monday evening news that the program was to end after this season was leaked to the public via Twitter. That morning the program’s head coach was informed of the university’s plans. By that night, Warner created a Facebook page aiming to save the team.

Meanwhile, UTB administrators pointed to the end of its partnership with TSC as the reason the program would end, but a TSC trustee said the college wasn’t involved when it should have been advised of the decision.

Both Warner and head baseball coach Bryan Aughney said the major factor in this scenario is that they feel the university didn’t give them the option to find a way to save the program by making cuts or fundraising.

UTB-TSC has not responded to request for comment on whether a certain amount of fundraising could save the program.

“I have yet to hear anything from (UTB President Juliet V.) Garcia,” Aughney said on Thursday, noting he hasn’t heard from Provost Alan Artibise either. “It’s a tough pill to swallow that way.”

“Not good for our kids”

Hanna baseball coach Eddie Garcia, who played on the UTB-TSC team and graduated in 1992, said the end of the program clamps down on opportunity for Rio Grande Valley players.

“It’s shocking, heartbreaking,” Garcia said. “Most of those Valley kids, they were looking forward to play here. That’s the only shot. ... Most of my kids, that’s their dream. Playing college ball.”

Porter High School baseball coach Armando Rangel, who graduated from UTB-TSC in 1995 and also played on the team, said he wouldn’t have finished college without the baseball program.

“This is not good for our kids at all, this is definitely not good,” he said. “Down here, these kids have a little hope to play here at that level.”

Rangel is one of those with hopes this isn’t the end.

“I hope they rethink it,” he said.

Related to the split

In a statement about the end of the program released this week, UTB officials said that athletics receives all of its funding through student fees. Therefore, because the student body will be split between UTB and TSC, the department faces up to a 50 percent loss in funding.

While the baseball team is getting cut, UTB-TSC has also proposed a 26-cent athletic fee increase per credit hour for 2012 through 2014. The fall 2011 athletic fee is $7 per credit hour.

But, in the same proposal, the UTB-TSC recreation center fee will decrease by $4 to break even. Essentially, the university is moving more funding to athletics via that student fee, but not increasing costs.

The baseball team, to meet conference requirements, will also be replaced by a cross country program that costs less, the university announced.

TSC trustee Juan “Trey” Mendez questioned how the end of the program was related to the split via public comments online, but later said the college should have been notified.

TSC President Lily Tercero said TSC is still in the planning phases of realizing its new structure.

TSC Board of Trustees Chairman Francisco “Kiko” Rendon said picking up the baseball program was not currently being analyzed.

TSC trustee David Oliveira said the end of the baseball program may be a sign of similar things to come as the two schools are split. He said his father, Arnulfo Oliveira who served as TSC president, began the baseball program at the community college in 1974.

Based on documents provided by the university, when each sports program’s budget is divided by the number of players on the team, its appears baseball is the cheapest sport per player.

Yet, there is still the baseball field’s maintenance to factor in, which for the 2011-2012 year is put at $39,116 outside of the $287,916 overall budget for the program.

Fate of the team

Aughney said he’s not sure what will happen to the TSC-owned baseball field.

“That’s everybody’s question,” he said.

He’s said he’s also not sure what will happen to the scoreboard installed four years ago, the $180,000 lights placed there in 2008 and the outfield wall which was freshly painted during summer last year for thousands of dollars.

The coach seems at a loss for words when asked if there’s hope, but he said he sees it in his players, alumni and the community.

“I don’t know what else I’ll do,” he said. “All I’ve ever done is coach.”

Warner is one of those alumni with the hope that Aughney sees.

“If we’re allotted the time and if we can get the community to back us, we can raise the money,” Warner said.

Through organizing, the baseball alumnus hopes to put pressure on the administration to at least consider giving the team the opportunity to fundraise and save the program.

He said they’re looking to write letters to administrators, gather petition signatures, taking any appeals possible and finding a pro-bono lawyer who might help.

“We’re brothers, basically. This connects us,” Warner said.

The team will meet Jan. 15 to hold, what is for now, its first practice of its last season.

A good crowd is expected for the alumni exhibition game, the first game of the season, on Jan. 20, Aughney said.

“Our guys make a lot of sacrifices to play the game they love,” he said.

At this point, all that’s left to do is play a season that makes supporters and the team proud, he said.

“We’ll hold our heads high, bust our tails like we always do and have fun,” he said.