Baseball fans at Iowa State will no longer be restricted to enjoying baseball by watching it on television, because baseball is now a club sport.

“Anyone is welcome to play, and we’re still looking for people,” said Jake Reichling, president of the baseball club.

“The interest is certainly there,” said Alan Murdoch, Recreation Services Program Coordinator. “Interest was there right away last spring.”

Reichling said a meeting on Aug. 30 drew over 150 would-be baseball players.

“With that much interest, we know we can have at least an eight-team league,” Reichling said.

Reichling said he hopes to develop a group of teams that can compete against each other on the weekends.

If there are enough talented people, Reichling said he hopes to create an “All-Star” team that could compete against local college teams.

Reichling said Des Moines Area Community College, Grandview College and Central College had shown interest in competing against a club team from Iowa State.

“We would probably play their J.V. teams,” Reichling said.

Murdoch said baseball was introduced as a sport club this fall. It became official after representatives of the baseball club met with the Sport Club Council, and the council voted them in.

Reichling said he met with the Sports Club Council in August and got baseball recognized as a sport club, but they still don’t have any equipment or a place to play.

Until they do that, they won’t be eligible for funding from the Government of the Student Body.

“We hope we can get Capp Timm Field, because it’s close and people can come and see us,” Reichling said.

Reichling said the athletic department was still unsure about what is going to be done with the field, which was the home of the ISU baseball team.

Murdoch said GSB would likely give the baseball club funding once they find playing facilities and equipment.

The delays have pretty much ruled out any serious play this fall, Reichling said.

“If something drastically changes in the next two days, then maybe we’ll do something this fall,” he said.

He said the club would probably start up in the spring.

Murdoch said the athletic department has met with Recreation Services to address the needs of the baseball club, but nothing has been worked out yet.

The athletic department has shown interest in developing a baseball club, Reichling said.

“The athletics director has been really open to helping us,” Reichling said. “But I have no problem bugging him every day about this.”

Murdoch, who also coaches the Hockey Club, said with some hard work, the baseball club could be a real success.

“The club is going to have to look real closely at fundraising efforts and setting up an organization that markets and supports baseball,” Murdoch said. “And I think they can do that.”

Reichling said anyone interested in joining the club can call him at 572-5451, or he can be reached via email at [email protected].