The ISU baseball club is gearing up for its second season and club president Jake Reichling couldn’t be happier about the many players coming out and the organization of the club taking place.

“The main difference from last spring is that we have more people out this fall,” said Reichling, junior in sports management.

“We have gotten a lot more organized and have learned a lot from our experience last spring.”

The registration deadline to join the club is today.

Players can register with Reichling at practice, which is held every Monday and Thursday from 4 p.m. until dusk at Cap Timm Field. They may also call Reichling at 268-1695 for more information.

The fee to join the club this year is $50. Participants must bring a copy of their insurance card to compete.

Players are also welcome to come whenever they like to hit in the batting cage, take fielding practice and throw off the bullpen mound.

Last season, the club had higher dues than they do now because Reichling overestimated the club’s expenses.

Reichling said the club had to figure out how much it would cost to have umpires.

“It was $75 last spring because at the time I set it, it looked like it was going to be expensive to use the field out here,” Reichling said.

“We had a little bit of a surplus at the end, and we used up the extra money to buy wooden bats and some other equipment like tees.”

One of the problems the club experienced last spring was the use of Cap Timm Field.

“It was difficult to use the field last spring. The athletic department had some apprehension about having us taking care of the field,” Reichling said. “This year they have been a lot more open. I think the basic agreement between us and the athletic department is that they mow it and make sure the grass stays green, and we have to take care of the dirt and chalk the field ourselves.”

As far as scheduled games, the club is planning to play three intra-squad games on Saturday and Sunday and have a club tournament in October.

Next spring, the club will be joining the National Club Baseball Association and will have a team consisting of about 20 “all-star” players based on play during the fall season.

“I actually send our letter of intent on Monday,” Reichling said. “We should be all set to be in the league. If we win that conference, we have a chance to be in the playoffs.”

The team will be traveling throughout the Midwest and will play Nebraska, Southern Illinois and John Brown University among others.

Brandon Yuska, junior in finance, said that having the club is a good thing for the university.

“You’ve got to keep baseball around because baseball is America’s pastime. You can’t let it die,” Yuska said. “I found out about the club through brochures, and I got hold of Jake.”

Yuska, who plays catcher, first base and third base, said he likes the idea of the club joining the NCBA.

“I think it’s awesome for the program. It’s a good way to build it,” Yuska said. “I think it’s a good thing for these guys, not only playing each other, but to play other schools.”

Reichling said most of the players played baseball in high school and “a lot of juniors and seniors that haven’t played since high school are kind of rusty.”

Besides Reichling as president, there are four other officers. Journalism professor Tom Emmerson serves as one of the advisers.

“Jake has done a wonderful job of putting this together,” Emmerson said.

“Also, I like how the athletic department is working with us. We’re in a win-win situation.”