The Boise State baseball program played 14 games before it was cut due to the financial effects of COVID-19. On July 2, the school announced that it would discontinue its baseball and women’s swimming and diving programs to prevent financial loss.
One of the former outfielders for the Boise State baseball team was Grant Kerry. Kerry traveled all the way from Perth, Australia to pursue his goals of playing baseball at the collegiate level.
Kerry was also a member of what is known as the “Dirty Dozen”, or the 12 players that arrived at Boise State in 2018 with the aspirations of restarting a baseball program.
“I was just in shock. I couldn’t really believe that this was happening,” Kerry said. “No one did… It sucked with how it all happened, but it was awesome to experience it for one actual year. It was a big deal to be a part of. It’s still just real upsetting that that’s how it ended.”
Kerry was one of the first players to read the email that broke the news that the program was being cut. He has since signed a scholarship with Northwest Nazarene University, a NCAA division II school in Nampa. He expects to become an important player on the team, whether it be in the infield or outfield.
Ever since the announcement was made, players have had to find alternatives for their athletic and educational careers.
Pitcher Dawson Day was among those affected by the news. He, along with pitcher Ike Buxton and infielder Torin Montgomery, received the email while playing for a summer league team located in North Dakota.
“I woke up one morning to an email saying that our program was being cut,” Day said. “After the first week I was devastated. I liked Boise, I liked the community, I liked the coaching staff. I liked everything about it. It was a great fit and a great place.”
Day will continue his collegiate career at Utah Valley University where he plans on earning a spot in the pitching rotation.
Another student-athlete, Boise State’s former first baseman Joe Yorke, was fortunate enough to sign with a different school. Yorke has gone from being a Bronco to being a Mustang playing for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Playing for Cal Poly takes him back to his home state of California.
Yorke’s reaction to the news came as a complete shock to him.
“We truly felt like we were backed by the school,” Yorke said.“It was shocking to hear how quickly they gave up on us.”
Yorke plans on competing for the starting first baseman position and earning a spot in the batting lineup. He hopes that baseball can return at Boise State sometime in the future
“I still have chills thinking about that Friday night opener when we were just 100 seats from selling out,” Yorke said. “For the community, I hope baseball comes back. But just in terms of baseball in Boise, it’s a good fit and I hope it comes back someday.”
