From NYU Athletics
New York University will be adding its 22nd and 23rd varsity sports beginning in the fall of 2014. Following the merger of NYU and NYU-Poly, both men's baseball and women's softball will compete as varsity sports on the NCAA Division III level.
"Varsity softball and baseball are wonderful additions to the New York University slate of varsity sports," said Christopher Bledsoe, NYU's Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of Athletics. "We are very excited to compete in these sports as members of the NCAA and UAA (University Athletic Association) beginning in 2014-15. This is an exciting time for the NYU community of students, faculty, staff, and alumni."
NYU-Poly will officially become the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering on January 1, 2014, but the two athletics programs will not merge until the conclusion of the 2013-14 academic year in July, 2014.
The current Head Coaches of NYU-Poly's baseball team, Doug Kimbler, and softball team, James Barrett, are continuing in those capacities during the 2013-14 season while also serving as Recruiting Coordinators for NYU in advance of the 2014-15 season.
Softball will be making its varsity debut at NYU after existing as a club sport for more than three decades.
Baseball, however, will be making a return to varsity status for the first time since 1974. Several Major League players have attended NYU, including Ralph Branca (class of 1948), who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Yankees and Tigers; Eddie Yost (class of 1947), who played for the Washington Senators, Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels; and Sam Mele (class of 1943), who played for the Senators, Red Sox, White Sox, Orioles, Indians, and Reds.