Officials at Eastern Michigan University have announced that four of the school’s varsity sports will cease competition effective at the end of the 2018 spring season. This includes the EMU softball team.
Explaining the decision as a cost-cutting move, estimated to save approximately $2.4 million, officials made the decision following a restructuring of the university’s budget. In addition to softball, other sports being discontinued include wrestling; men’s swimming and diving; and women’s tennis.
The EMU softball roster is made up of seventeen players, including four seniors; six juniors; three sophomores; and four freshmen. Junior third baseman Amanda Akles leads the team with a .351 batting average and fourteen RBI on the 2018 season. The Eagles are 4-18 and were picked last in the Mid-American Conference’s West division in the preseason coaches poll.
An EMU representative confirmed that any athlete who seeks to transfer will have immediate eligibility at another school, while the university’s press release noted that any affected athlete who wanted to stay at EMU would still have their athletic scholarship honored.
The Eagles coaching staff is led by Melissa Gentile, who is in her fifth season as head coach. The coaching staff under Gentile is made up of Kim Burke; Argentine national Magali Frezzotti; and former Michigan great Sara Driesenga.
After the move, Eastern Michigan will be the only school in the Mid-American Conference not to sponsor softball.
An interesting footnote: EMU traditionally puts on three back-to-back-to-back tournaments in the early, non-conference portion of the regular season, in partnership with the city of Madeira Beach, Florida. In 2018, thirty-four teams participated in the tournaments, including two Power Five schools. There was no immediate word as to the status of those tournaments moving forward.
