USU Baseball club joins national group
The USU baseball club has good news for the upcoming season; it is now officially part of the National College Baseball Association (NCBA). The National College Baseball Association is made of up college baseball clubs throughout the country.
This is a great opportunity for the club, being a part of the NCBA gives the club an opportunity to play other teams and participate in an organized World Series at the end of the season, said Ben Wolford, USU director of intramurals and head coach for the team.
Not only does the club get to participate against teams throughout the country, but it also has an opportunity to play teams that are located locally and within the West. Weber State University, Boise State University and possibly Idaho State University will play in a conference with USU.
Large schools like Ohio State University and Texas A&M University are also members of the NCBA and will be potential opponents. The University of Utah and Brigham Young University are not members as they are affiliated with the NCAA.
Playing teams that are located in state or within the West should give the club an opportunity to establish rivalries, much like the USU hockey club maintains rivalries with in-state teams such as Weber State.
Being a club, the baseball team receives some money from campus recreation but is not university sponsored. Inclusion in the NCBA will produce some additional costs, which will ultimately be covered by players and money generated through fundraising.
The NCBA will be beneficial to the team, Wolford said. The club’s season starts the first weekend in March and runs through the end of the semester. The NCBA World Series takes place in May.