The Wisconsin baseball team has been dormant since 1991, but that does not mean the spirit still thrives within the hearts of many Badgers fans.
Nearly every year, an argument is made on social media in favor of returning the Wisconsin baseball team to the previously glory that the program had. While the Badgers had never quite been a powerhouse in the world of baseball, the state produces some of the best talent within the sport, highlighting the recruiting capabilities the program would have.
With a state that sent 45 recruits to the top collegiate level this past year, the potential of the program thriving seems more possible now than ever.
Wisconsin Baseball Still Remembered by Fans Despite 34-Year Absence
The Wisconsin baseball team disbanded in 1991 after first fielding a collegiate team in 1900, which marked a dark day in the history of Wisconsin athletics.
The Badgers finished the last decade of play with just two double-digit win seasons and a program best 15 wins during the 1988 season. Wisconsin made the NCAA Tournament just once in 1950 where the team lost in the semifinals to Rutgers, and had won the regular season conference championship five times with the last occurring during the 1950 season.
Wisconsin baseball did not play up to the standards of the rest of the conference, and eventually lost the team after showing limited signs of life in the final ten years. The Badgers never quite adjusted to a 16 game schedule, and the team only became worse after the expansion to 28 games in 1988.
While the Wisconsin baseball team struggled previously, the combination of in-state talent and profound interest in the sport could allow for the program to return from the ashes.
Could the Wisconsin Badgers Baseball Team Ever Return in the Near Future?
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
As stated previously, Wisconsin has become a hotbed for sending talent to the collegiate level, and the Wisconsin baseball program had previously sent talent at a high clip to the MLB despite being one of the worst teams in the conference.
The Badgers had ten players drafted to the MLB in the final four years of the existence of the program, with 38 players drafted total including two first-round selections (Mark Doran, Tom Fischer). Even with arguably the worst program in the conference, the Badgers still managed to produce talent and that is a testament to the caliber of players that come out of the state.
Should Wisconsin baseball return, the team would have 34 scholarships available with 45 Division I caliber players roaming within the state. The talent is certainly there, but the real question is whether or not the financial assistance would follow that would allow the program to return from the dust.
Baseball is surprisingly an expensive sport in terms of NIL money and support needed, which means the program would not be able to rely on the in-state home-run recruits alone as other programs will look to utilize more financials when needed.
While money is needed to create a successful, effective, and competitive team, the Badgers administration would not need to empty the pockets fully in order to create a thriving on-campus program. Wisconsin baseball has a deep following that has extended into the incoming class nearly three decades after the fall of the program, which displays the deep loyalty fans have had.
The exit of Wisconsin baseball left a hole in the hearts of a community that bonded around a team regardless of the outcome of each game, and that void has never quite been filled even to up to this point.
While the return of Wisconsin baseball seems very unlikely due to the financial contributions needed, that does not mean the fire and passion for the sport will ever leave the hearts of the Badgers fans.
Chris Mcintosh Wisconsin3
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