Coming off back-to-back losses to the University of Central Florida on Saturday and Sunday, the Alabama club baseball team falls to 3-2 on the season. The team struggled to put runs on the board, losing 11-3 in Game 1, and 4-0 in Game 2. Beyond this, there has been a much bigger struggle this season: money.
Raising money for operating costs during the season has always been a challenge for the Alabama club baseball team. Since the team is not an official team for the University, it does not get a lot of University funding. Instead, The University of Alabama gives each club sports team, regardless of what sport it plays or how many members there are, a small amount of money, approximately $1,000. However, for the club baseball team, it is not nearly enough to cover everything.
Matthew Oakley, the team’s treasurer and a senior majoring in finance and economics, said the team often holds fundraisers to make ends meet.
“We have previously done some with Chipotle, we have also done them at The Standard,” Oakley said. “We also do a letter drive every year, where we target friends and family or local Tuscaloosa businesses.”
These fundraiser events at Chipotle and The Standard play critical roles for the team. The team received 30% of the sales from the days those fundraisers were held and plan on holding more of these events later this season, as well as in the near future.
Another way club baseball helps with funds is through charging dues for each player. The team consists of 31 players, and each member must pay around $450.
Even with collecting dues and fundraising, it can still be a challenge to play since there are a lot of necessities that come with a baseball game.
Club baseball does not own a field to play on, so the team must rent out a field from Hale County High School, which is approximately 20 minutes south of Tuscaloosa. For the year, the field usage can cost around $1,000. For umpires, the cost can be almost $3,500 per year.
The team also must factor in housing and transportation. Housing options can be expensive and scarce, so the team struggles to find out where to stay, and some players sleep in their friends’ dorms to save money. As for transportation, they either rent out vehicles through The University of Alabama or will sometimes have players carpool in their cars if it is a reasonable drive.
“This year alone our field price went up $50 every weekend, the umpires have gone up every weekend, lodging has gone up a lot,” David D’Olivo, a junior majoring in secondary education and mathematics who is the vice president of the club, said. “When we go to Georgia, we will be staying in an Airbnb. It is the cheapest way for all of us.”
As for the players, they will appreciate any type of donations and fundraising they can get.
“Club baseball is a group of a bunch of great guys who are really involved in the Tuscaloosa and UA community,” Nathan Beatty, a sophomore majoring in accounting and a relief pitcher for the team, said. “Anyone willing to donate to our fundraisers, it would be greatly appreciated and put to good use.”
Alabama’s team is currently ranked No. 11, according to the National Club Baseball Association, and on Saturday and Sunday the team will host the No. 3 Florida State Seminoles at Hale County High School.
