In a press conference earlier today, UVM associate Vice President and Director of Athletics, Dr. Robert Corran, announced that both the school’s baseball and softball programs would be discontinued after their respective 2009 seasons.”As part of The University management effort, we have decided to discontinue varsity baseball and softball effective the end of the current season,” Corran said.Corran cited a $1.1 million dollar gap in revenues versus expenses for the athletic department’s 2009-2010 budget.A release from the athletic communications department stated that the athletic department will see a 6.5% budget cut for the upcoming year, which is why the decision to cut baseball and softball was made.”This was an exceptionally difficult decision to make knowing the history and tradition of these programs, and the impact that it will have on the staff and student athletes involved,” Corran said. “It became more and more clear that we could not close a $1.1 million dollar budget gap using across the board measures without seriously jeopardizing the quality of all of our programs,” Corran said. “Thus the decision to discontinue baseball and softball.”When asked what other programs were considered in cuts, Corran said that skiing, field hockey, cross country, track and field and swimming were all potentially on the chopping block.However, according to Corran and the release provided by athletic communications, because baseball and softball had a high expense-to-revenue ratio and taking into account Title IX and facility issues, they were the logical sports to cut in terms of the 2009-2010 budget.”This decision in no way reflects any discontent or dissatisfaction with either of these programs,” Corran said, also noting that the school and national economic crisis is “bigger than us.”No players or coaches were available for contact.