UC Berkeley officials have announced that the school’s baseball program will survive after a massive fundraising effort over the last two months has raised $9 million.

The university originally announced last September that it was cutting five sports to reduce its subsidies to its athletic program. Then in February, officials said they had raised enough money to save women’s lacrosse and gymnastics and men’s rugby, but not the baseball and men’s gymnastics programs.

A fundraising campaign spearheaded by former Golden Bears pitcher Stu Gordon was launched and with the effort of alumni, former players, parents of current players and other team supporters, the group “Save Cal Baseball” has raised enough to keep the program going.

University Chancellor Robert Birgeneau had previously identified a goal of $10 million raised to save the program and the group plans to meet that though continued fundraising efforts.

School officials said that supporters of the men’s gymnastics team are still trying to save that program with their own fundraising efforts.

Photo Credit: User Coro, via Wikimedia Commons

• Tag: baseball, cuts, fundraising, sports, UC Berkeley