Rumors had begun circulating that Providence College was going to cut some of it men’s sports programs even before the ruling had been made on Brown University’s Title IX sex discrimination lawsuit. Some PC athletes had heard the whispers, but the administration never confirmed or denied the allegations, so the discussion remained merely background noise. That fall, however, the static started to pick up its intensity.

Baseball was certainly not excluded from the debate, but no one really believed that America’s pastime would be one of the programs that a catholic school, so steeped in tradition, would simply eliminate to improve their bottom line. With the success that the baseball program had enjoyed in recent years, the threat just wasn’t taken seriously. Swimming or track, or any one of the other sports, really, would be the program or programs that everyone thought would be the first to go.

While the game clock on several Providence College sports was ticking down to zero, the individual male athletes whose programs were targeted for elimination were completely unsuspecting.


When the players got onto the field that afternoon, it was a picture perfect fall day, with mild temperatures and plenty of blue sky and sunshine. They had just started working out when Coach Hickey was suddenly called away to attend a meeting, and that changed the entire complexion of the practice. It was more than just not having Coach around to run the team through their drills and bark Hick-isms at them when they messed up. The other coaches and team captains could handle those things well enough, but the players all sensed that something was wrong. From the unannounced meeting to the persistent rumors to The Cowl article, it was all too much to overlook.

It was like an oppressive wet blanket had been tossed over them, dampening their spirits. They spent the next hour or so playing long toss, or pepper, just trying to stay loose. Before too long, that activity degraded until they were all just milling around. They were busting balls and joking as usual, but even their light-hearted banter had an air of uneasiness to it. They could have officially ended practice and gone back to their dorms, apartments, girlfriends, barstools, but they didn’t. They didn’t know when Coach Hickey might get back, but none of them were going anywhere until he returned.

After gathering up the equipment and raking the infield, Coach Hickey finally walked back onto the field, about an hour and a half after he had left. He walked slowly across the infield, just inside the third base line, shadowed by his coaches. He motioned for the players to gather around near home plate. He looked like someone had punched him in the gut.

“This is bad,” he began.

None of the players seemed to be breathing.

“The college is cutting the baseball program,” he said quickly, like pulling a Band-Aid off.

He looked around at the shock and disbelief painted on the faces of his players.

“It’s official,” their coach informed them. “1999 is going to be last season for baseball at PC.”

Marc DesRoches, the big right-handed ace of the staff, had to take a knee. He had been through so much with the program. After his freshman year he had considered moving on from PC. That year, 1995, the Friars were ranked 15th in country, and he appeared in only 1.3 innings. Discouraged, he sat out the entire 1996 season, and returned the following year only to throw a total of 9.3 innings. Doc bounced back with a solid 1998 campaign. Despite pitching through pain that limited his success, he still won eight games.

With his eyes clouded, Coach Hickey tried to focus on the one positive aspect that remained by telling the team that they would still have the season to play out and that all they could do was win as many games as they could to put pressure on the administration into rethinking their decision. He had no other answers for his players. There were still many questions that Coach Hickey had himself for college administrators, as well as a few choice words, but he didn’t share any of that with them. Instead, he informed them that the Assistant Athletic Director wanted to meet that evening to talk to them about Title IX and why the baseball program was being eliminated.

Additionally, Coach Hickey advised his team to take the rest of the week off from practice and to use the time through the weekend to talk with their families and think about what they wanted to do with regard to their futures at Providence College.

By 7 p.m. a brief closed door meeting between the players and the administration took place in the college press room. Assistant Athletic Director, Mark Devine, addressed the athletes. He explained the reason for the school’s decision to cut the baseball, along with golf and tennis teams, the two other men’s sports programs that were being eliminated in order to comply with Title IX mandates. After he spoke, he allowed the players to ask questions, but most were too angry or upset to respond. They were all still in a state of shock after getting the news from their coach. Some cried, some got angry and some kept their emotions to themselves, but for all of them it was a moment in their lives that they would never forget.