Considering that Zach Thiel spearheaded the effort to save baseball at UW-La Crosse, one might expect that he is a past member of the team's roster, or even an alumnus of the university. However, the Lakeshore Technical College graduate says that's not the case. "I'm just a huge sports fan and follow everything from bowling to football to baseball,"

However, Thiel's cousins, Garrett and Gavin Scray, both do play baseball for the UW-La Crosse Eagles. On June 12, 2009 Thiel received an e-mail from Garret and Gavin's mother explaining that the university planned to terminate the program unless $50,000 could be raised in under three months.

Thiel was shocked.

"I couldn't believe such a longstanding tradition and baseball program would just be taken out of the community," he says. "I was determined not to let this program dissolve like ones at many other colleges."

Thiel offered to help and the team gladly accepted, he created a fundraising website, www.saveuwlbaseball.com. "Within a few hours of the site launch we were already getting hits, and the hits increased by the hour," Thiel says.

He also began emailing, calling, and meeting potential donors, alumni, baseball players and fans, and people the community. He reached out to newspapers in Wisconsin and surrounding states, local TV stations, and even national networks, which began to pick up the story. "Interview requests came in and articles went out, all relaying the message that the UW-La Crosse baseball program needed monetary help," says Thiel.

The summer of 2009 was "absolutely crazy," Zach says. "I would spend easily three to four hours a night, every night of the week, working on spreading the word and trying to drum up support."

By the end of July, the campaign had raised $40,000. Then, on Thiel's birthday in August, he received the best present he could have asked for when UW-La Crosse announced that it would be able to structure the money raised in order to save the baseball program for the 2010 season.

Thiel's efforts earned him not only the thanks of players and fans of UW-La Crosse baseball, but also the Distinguished Service Award from the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association. Yet Thiel is quick to defer credit to others who played a part.

"Without the interest of so many media outlets and individuals showing a willingness to save the program, we wouldn't be getting ready for a 2010 season," he says.

While the 2010 season is saved, more work is needed to keep the program viable. Thiel has worked with the team to create a new campaign to ensure the Eagles will take the field for at least the next five years, which will require raising $175,000. It will again be a daunting challenge, but Thiel explains he is willing to commit to the effort because of how important the impact will be.

"To me, baseball is more than just a sport. It promotes teamwork, discipline, builds dedication, and develops character, and all of these qualities are very important in a young person's life," he says. "We need to do everything we can to ensure baseball is in the alive and well for the UW-La Crosse and entire Wisconsin community."

Please visit www.saveuwlbaseball.com for more information about keeping baseball at UW-La Crosse.