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Pocono News Section
Uncertain Future for Lock Haven Baseball
Uncertain Future for Lock Haven Baseball - Thursday, April 23, 2009 at 4:49PM EST
Lock Haven, Clinton County-
A public university in central Pennsylvania has placed one of its sports programs on the chopping block, apparently due to financial problems.
Players on the Lock Haven University baseball team say they were blindsided by the announcement that the program was being cut.
The team is still in limbo following a rally Thursday. Players say they’ll do whatever it takes to survive.
Scott Gaston, a junior baseball player at Lock Haven, said, “We’re not going down without a fight.”
That was the message all the ballplayers sent at the rally Thursday to save the team.
Junior Josh Rote added, “We can’t come out here and talk, and that’s it. We need to keep fighting for this.”
Players say they’ve received overwhelming support. They say thousands of Facebook hits and signatures on a petition show the need for baseball in Lock Haven.
Junior Kevin Kochka noted, “This just shows how much baseball really means to everyone in the community and how much we need to keep it around.”
Lock Haven University President Keith Miller addressed the crowd, saying, “I appreciate what you’re doing here on behalf of baseball, on behalf of the students at Lock Haven University. This is a very unfortunate situation for everybody.”
It’s a situation that could be avoided if one group on campus has its way.
That’s because the Lock Haven University Student Senate has come up with a proposal that would support the baseball team, both now and in the future.
The plan would donate money from each student’s activities fee to keep the baseball team afloat. The president says he and the school’s lawyers will consider it.
Head baseball coach Paul Stover noted, “It looks like a good deal. We have a lot of hope right now.”
And while nothing has been officially decided yet, players here say they’ll continue to fight. Kochka added, “A little glimmer of hope? That goes a long way.”
A decision on the future of Lock Haven’s baseball team could be made as early as Friday. Of course, we will keep you updated as we learn more. | | |
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