No plans to revive baseball at S.C. State

In 1975, Gene Richards of Monticello (Fairfield County) and South Carolina State University (College at the time) was the No. 1 pick of the San Diego Padres in the Major League Baseball Draft. The California Angels followed that by making Willie Mays Aikens of Seneca -- Richards' teammate at S.C. State -- the No. 2 overall selection.

You can look it up.

Not long after that, the school dropped the baseball program, and it hasn't been revived since.

In connection with my Dec. 8 post, College Baseball Needs a Tiger Woods, I e-mailed Ms. Charlene Johnson, Athletic Director at S. C. State, to ask if there were any plans to revive baseball at the Orangeburg school.

Ms. Johnson replied that there are none at this time.

Schools certainly shouldn't undertake things that might serve as a drain on resources. As a baseball fan, though, I am sad that a potential avenue to inspire more African-Americans into playing baseball is closed at this time.
EARLIER: College Baseball needs a Tiger Woods