Coaches for golf and tennis will be hired in January with the intention of establishing the teams to begin play in time for the fall 2008 season. The university will hire a baseball coach in July 2008, giving that coach a full year to bring together a squad to begin varsity competition in the 2009-10 academic year.
“We are thrilled to be returning the sports of baseball, golf and tennis to Seattle U Intercollegiate Athletics,” said Director of Athletics Bill Hogan. “Anyone who knows SU Athletics will recognize that we have had many outstanding alumni from these sports in years past. The additional sports will also support our goal for NCAA Division I league membership.”
All five sports were previously offered at Seattle University, with several nationally-known student-athletes such as John and Ed O’Brien in baseball, Janet Hopps and Tom Gorman in tennis, and Orrin Vincent and Pat Lesser in golf.
Officials have reviewed practice and game options for baseball and golf and feel confident Seattle University will have good facilities. The tennis teams will compete on the tennis courts next to SU’s Championship Field.
The new teams will track the same trajectory that the current 14 sports are following as the university transitions to Division I.