Junior Aaron Leong decided playing college baseball shouldn't require a scholarship - or the NCAA.
After discovering that MSU didn't have a club baseball team, Leong, a finance major, contacted the National Club Baseball Association and an MSU adviser and arranged to have the Spartans added to the Great Lakes North Conference.
"I still wanted to play baseball, like a lot of guys out here, because our careers basically end after high school, unless you go to a small school," he said.
"This is another way for us to keep playing baseball."
Leong started the MSU Baseball Club with some of his friends in September, passed out fliers and received permission to conduct tryouts at Kobs Field.
"About 30 guys tried out and we currently have 17 players," said Leong, who now is the club's president. "This season, we practiced twice a week, usually Thursday and Sunday, and every weekend, we have a game."
This weekend, the team played a doubleheader against conference leader Central Michigan, and MSU (4-6 conference, 5-8 overall) dropped both games.
"This year, we're just trying to get our name out," team secretary and shortstop Nick Kolbe said. "We have a solid team of guys, but we hope after the first year when guys come to MSU, they'll know there's a club team with a good program."
Kolbe, an education junior, said MSU's program is growing, in addition to the conference, which consists of MSU, Central Michigan, Bowling Green, Ferris State and Kent State.
Michigan and Purdue also are organizing teams, Kolbe said.
The NCBA was established in July 2000 and is the first governing body for club baseball in history. There are 77 teams from colleges around the country, each run by their respective student members. The teams are grouped into 16 conferences and eight regions, and each conference has a championship between the top two teams, with the winner having the opportunity to go to the NCBA World Series.
Sandy Sanderson, president of the NCBA, said being a part of Penn State's club program made him realize the talent level outside varsity teams.
"We were a hard-working group of guys," Sanderson said. "At one time, we had more games scheduled than the varsity team. We were hard-core, but had nothing to show for it."
Sanderson founded the NCBA at about the same time he graduated from Penn State and has watched it grow ever since.
"Big school's coaches with varsity teams realize this is good for them," Sanderson said. "We aren't taking away from varsity team.
"(Coaches) might find a guy on a club team and say, 'Hey, this guy could contribute to my team.'"
In addition, Sanderson said the NCBA is developing a reputation at the high school level by letting younger players know they still can play baseball and go to their favorite schools.
MSU's season ends this weekend with a home contest against Ferris State. Though the Spartans won't be traveling to the world series, Leong said the club's first year was a success and will continue to develop.
"I feel things have gone really well," Leong said. I'm sure next year it will be better, but I'm happy with the season - it's been a lot of fun."
