Updates from site creator Zach Thiel:

-02/24/2010 = Donation tracker has been updated, still moving in the right direction!!! Lets keep up the great work!!!
-02/16/2010 = I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association. I am honored to accept the WCBA 2009 Distinguished Service Award. I can't thank the WBCA and all of our supporters enough for the kind words and encouragement.
-02/12/2010 = Looking forward to seeing fellow supporters at the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association (WBCA) Luncheon tomorrow February 13th in Middleton, WI.
-02/12/2010 = Donation tracker has been updated, a nice jump as we are over $50,000 now!!!
-01/29/2010 = Thanks Adam at the Sheboygan Press for "your two cents", click here to read the article.
-01/29/2010 = Over 20,000 website hits!!! AWESOME!!!
-01/12/2010 = Sorry everyone for the month vacation from updates, it's been a busy time as my wife and I welcomed our first daughter Paetyn Ann into the world (and yes she is already a UW-La Crosse fan). I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and hope we can continue on last years success!!!
-12/15/2009 = Wishing for a Christmas Miracle..............lets all join together and give the La Crosse baseball players the best gift of all, baseball now and forever.
-12/09/2009 = Come on everyone let's continue supporting UW-L baseball, pledge count and donation totals updated!!!
-11/15/2009 = Website has been updated with latest number of pledges and pledge dollars. Please everyone dig deep and lets ensure baseball at La Crosse for the next (5) seasons.
-11/08/2009 = Over 10,000 website hits!!! Awesome!!!
-11/06/2009 = Web site fully updated to show the progress of our new campaign.
-10/01/2009 = Pledge cards, please click here to view, print, and turn in. GO EAGLES!!!
-10/01/2009 = Just finished updating the site, we still need your help to save the future of baseball at UW-L Crosse. Please continue spreading the word and help us save the program.
-09/16/2009 = Sorry for the long delay in updates, be watching as a major website overhaul is on it's way.
-09/02/2009 = Not going away...........donation tracker has been updated!! We still need your help even though the upcoming season has been saved we still have work to do.
-08/14/2009 = Article and interview with site creator Zach Thiel on TheBuckyChannel (click here) website, thanks Bart.
-08/13/2009 = Article on TheCollegeBaseballBlog (click here)
-08/12/2009 = Article on the Wisconsin Radio Network, baseball saved at La Crosse. Thank you to all our supporters!!!
-08/12/2009 = Article in the La Crosse Tribune, baseball saved at La Crosse.
-08/11/2009 = BASEBALL HAS BEEN SAVED AT UW-La Crosse!!! See the home page for the announcement from Chancellor Joe Gow.
-08/11/2009 = Donation tracker has been updated, only a little over $11,000 to go!!!
-08/06/2009 = Article in the Fond du Lac Reporter, thanks Doug
-08/03/2009 = Donation tracker has been updated!!!
-07/29/2009 = Homepage attention on the www.collegebaseballinsider.com, thanks Sean
-07/28/2009 = Some International support, thanks Don from collegebaseballconnect.ca, please see the CBC Billboard on the main page
-07/28/2009 = Over $32,000 raised.......over 5,000 website hits.......ALL in 47 days!!! It's still the bottom of the ninth........down by 1, rally cap time........please we need your support.
-07/28/2009 = Article posted on the Wisconsin Radio Network
-07/24/2009 = Blog by Eric Sorenson on CollegeBaseballToday.com (click here) - scroll down to various notes of note around college baseball.
-07/23/2009 = We have surpassed $30,000 in donations!!!
-07/22/2009 = Article in the Dubuque, Iowa Telegraph Herald (click here)
-07/21/2009 = Over 1,100 website hits in 7 days!!! AWESOME!!! Come on everyone lets save baseball at La Crosse and keep these kids in the game they love and enjoy.
-07/20/2009 = Thanks Bob at BadJocks.com (where COPS meets Sports Center) for the support
-07/17/2009 = Donation tracker updated for the week, still going up but we need more support
-07/15/2009 = Homepage attention from D3baseball.com, thanks Jim & Pat
-07/15/2009 = Breaking news.........updated today over $25,000 raised, half way there!!!
-07/13/2009 = We have surpassed one of the many elite baseball numbers.....the 3000 "website" hit club. Thanks everyone and lets continue to spread the word and save baseball at UW-L.
-07/11/2009 = Article in the Wisconsin State Journal
-07/10/2009 = We have surpassed $20,000 in donations almost 1/2 way there!!!
-07/09/2009 = TheSolidVerbal Podcast - Episode 46 7/7, starting at the 54:52 minute mark, it's great so please check it out. Thanks Dan and Ty!!!
-07/07/2009 = Donation tracker updated, almost to $20,000!!! Thank you so far everyone for your donations and support!!!
-07/06/2009 = Article on CollegeNews.com (click here)
-07/05/2009 = We have surpassed 2000 hits!!!
-07/05/2009 = Article on the Milwaukee Journal - Baseball Beat (Endangered species - click here)
-07/03/2009 = More national attention, I wrote an article for thecollegebaseballblog.com (click here), thecollegebaseballblog.com website is known as the ultimate source for college baseball news and notes from around the nation.
-07/02/2009 = Donation tracker has been updated, Happy 4th weekend everyone, be safe and lets save UW-L Eagle baseball
-07/02/2009 = Some national attention........blog on www.baseballamerica.com (click here)
-07/02/2009 = Article posted on the UW-La Crosse Racquet website
-06/30/2009 = Donation tracker updated, lets keep this train to save UW-L baseball rolling
-06/29/2009 = We have reached the 1,500 website visitor "hit" club, keep spreading the word
-06/26/2009 = Video from NBC-26 Green Bay/Appleton (click here)
-06/26/2009 = Article on NBC-26 Green Bay/Appleton (click here)
-06/23/2009 = Article published in the La Crosse Tribune
-06/22/2009 = We are over 1/4 of the way to our GOAL, go EAGLES!!!
-06/18/2009 = 1st update on the DONATION tracker on the home page!!!
-06/15/2009 = 1st article posted in the Sheboygan Press, thanks guys!!!
-06/12/2009 = www.saveuwlbaseball.com is up and running!!!
-06/10/2009 = Men's baseball given second chance if funding can be raised
-06/05/2009 = Announcement made ending men's college baseball at UW-La Crosse

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Letter from UW-L Baseball Coach Chris Schwarz Schwarz.chri@uwlax.edu

Dear UW-La Crosse Baseball Alumni, Friends, & Boosters:

As I am sure you have heard, recently the university has decided to discontinue our baseball program, along with the men’s tennis program. This news was shocking to current players, alumni of the program, and anybody who loves the game of baseball. Since the announcement, there has been an incredible amount of resistance to the decision. Because of those that voiced their discontent, campus administration has allowed us to look at alternative sources of funding to keep the programs alive.

There are many of you, including myself, that are still upset with the decision that was made, how the news was given to players, and even the current plan to raise funds. I urge you to do your best to not focus on those things, or the long-term plan, and focus on the current task at hand. That current task is a short-term goal to keep the program going for this upcoming year (2009-2010). In order to do that, we need to raise $50,000 by September 1st, 2009. A long term plan has been drafted, but will be focused on more clearly after we reach our short term goal. That long term plan will involve additional fund raising.

In the multitude of discussions that took place in the days following the original decision, one thing was clear – this is about UW-L Baseball, not me. I cannot be personally tied to these efforts….or, this is not about me. The driving force has to be alumni and friends of the program. That being said, of course I am involved in the raising of funds, and keeping everyone informed.

The head coaching position will be a full-time appointment on campus for the upcoming year, assuming we reach the goal of $50,000 by Sept. 1st. That position will be 50% management of the new stadium, 25% coaching baseball, and 25% fundraising for baseball. This is a 1-year fix, and will most likely change in the future. Currently, this person is me. I cannot guarantee that it will stay that way. I have been, and will continue, to search for a long-term, stable job. Please know it pains me greatly to say that. Whether that person is me or not, there will be a qualified head coach with a full-time job leading the team.

UW-L Baseball has touched so many lives we cannot let it go away. Please consider making a contribution towards this short term goal of $50,000. Small and large, we need contributions from everybody. Any overage in funds will go towards the long term fundraising plan. If by chance we do not reach our goal, all donations will be returned to donors. All donations must be directed to the UW-L Foundation, where a special fund has been created for this effort.

Sincerely,
Chris

Message from UW-La Crosse Chancellor Gow Regarding Baseball and Men's Tennis (June 10th, 2009)

La Crosse, Wis. – The following is an updated message from University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow regarding the Eagles' baseball and men's tennis programs:

As you know, the State's extraordinary budget reductions to UW-L have forced us to make a wide range of difficult cuts, including ending our baseball and men's tennis programs. We had planned today to formally notify the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Association (WIAC) about the elimination of these two programs; however, at the request of numerous alumni, parents and friends of the University we are delaying notifying WIAC officials about our plans so that our coaches and potential donors can determine whether it is feasible for these two sports to be supported entirely through private funding for the coming year, and possibly on into the future. We have indicated that we can wait until September 1st to learn the donors' intentions for the coming 2009-2010 season, because at that point the baseball and men's tennis coaches will need to have contracts and begin being compensated for their work.

Although fundraising for sports activities at UW-L is a longstanding tradition, we have never thought it possible or desirable to fund an entire program or programs through private donations. However, in light of the unique situation we're currently facing, we don't want to deny the coaches and the many enthusiastic supporters of our baseball and men's tennis teams the opportunity to see what might be possible. Our athletic department has determined that, based on last year's budgets and input from the coaches overseeing them, maintaining baseball for the coming 2009-2010 season will require $50,000 and continuing men's tennis for another year will require $40,000. As I've said, these funds will need to be in hand by September 1st.

Provided adequate monies can be raised to fund the two programs for 2009-2010, donors then will need to make more challenging decisions about whether they are able to sustain baseball and men's tennis over the long term. Based on discussions with our coaches and athletic department leadership, we have determined that five years of advance funding will need to be raised before we can tell potential UW-L students these programs are stable. Because privately funded programs will not draw the student fees they now receive (a decision approved by our coaches and athletic department leadership), the annual costs of baseball and men's tennis will rise over the 2010-2015 period; thus several hundred thousand dollars will need to be raised to sustain each program for these five years. And these large funding pools would need to be raised by May 1, 2010 so that coaches, players and prospective recruits could have a realistic sense of the viability of the baseball and men's tennis programs beyond the 2009-2010 season and be able to make informed decisions about their future personal plans.

In the days since we made the very painful announcement that UW-L is no longer able to maintain financial support for baseball and men's tennis Athletic Director Joe Baker and I have been struck by the outpouring of concern we've received via e-mail messages, telephone calls and personal conversations. But our current budget crisis gives us no choice but to ask for sacrifices from our athletic department, just as we have asked for sacrifices from every other area of the University. So it is very heartening to see so many members of the UW-L community come forward to offer their very generous support to keep Eagle baseball and men's tennis alive. To be honest, I'm not sure whether this is feasible over the long term; but the messages I've received this week suggest that it is entirely possible to sustain these programs for an additional year with private funds. Toward that end I am personally donating $1,000 to be divided between the baseball and men's tennis fundraising efforts for 2009-2010. While this is but a small contribution, I hope it inspires others to think about making similar gifts in support of these extraordinary campaigns. Should you wish to make your own donation please contact Pat Stephens at the L Club/UW-L Foundation (785-8153 or stephens.patr@uwlax.edu) and ask about the funds established by Baseball Coach Chris Schwarz and Men¹s Tennis Coach Bill Hehli.

I look forward to providing you with an update about baseball and men's tennis once we hear the results of the fundraising now being done in support of them. As I've indicated, we'll know definitive information about the coming season by September 1st. In the meantime, thanks for your patience and continuing dedication to UW-L.