BIRMINGHAM, AL — The Birmingham-Southern College baseball team could win a national championship for a school that no longer exists. Friday, the school is closing its doors for good following a series of financial issues. There will be limited online courses this summer, and there is a "wind-down" process, but the school is officially closing down after 168 years.
Somebody forgot to tell the baseball team.
Panthers head coach Jan Weisberg broke the news to his players on March 26th. The school would effectively shutter the windows and close its doors on May 31st.
The school had faced budget issues for a couple of years, and it was no secret that such an extreme measure was possible. After the initial shock, the baseball team decided to use the opportunity as its time to shine. They won 18 of 22 games, and earned a ticket to this weekend's Division III World Series.
"We were loose. That weight was lifted off our shoulders," said Panthers outfielder and Longboat Key-native Jakob Zito. "We were just trying to enjoy every last minute with each other. We are a family. We are a very close-knit team. We weren’t playing selfishly at all. We just wanted to make every last moment count with each other."
Zito transferred to Birmingham-Southern from Central Alabama CC before the 2023 season. He said he immediately felt like a member of the family, which is why it's so hard to say good bye to his alma mater.
"It was really difficult because I was going to prepare to come back to campus and go watch games on the patio and have a good time with the alumni," Zito explained via video chat. "When we got the news and I knew that wasn’t going to be an option anymore it was sad, it really was."
The Panthers have captured the media spotlight during their run as "The Team Without A School." While they aren't looking past any of their opponents, Zito admitted he's thought about what it would be like to cap this amazing story with a national championship.
"That’s always been the goal. Honestly, it’s been the expectation ever since the season started," Zito said. "You know, I think that’d be really, really cool if we did have that opportunity. But we’re not thinking too far ahead at all. We’re taking this one game at a time. We’ll figure that out when we get there, for sure."
Jakob and his teammates won't be able to show their family and friends the field or the school where they made their historic run, but the videos, articles, pictures, and memories will live forever.
"I think it’s going to be quite evident, the emotions that we were playing with- or, without, honestly," Zito said when asked how he'll remember this season years from now. "We were just excited to be out there with the guys, and the coaches that we love and the players we love. It’s going to be really, really cool to see that one day. No doubt about it."
Birmingham-Southern faces Salve Regina University in their first quarterfinal match-up. First pitch is set for 4:45. The double-elimination tournament culminates with national championship series that gets underway on Wednesday, June 5th.
