By Zach Babajanof-Rustrian | Intern
The International Olympic Committee voted to add five sports to the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles on Monday. Among the five sports added, baseball and softball have taken the community by storm.
Baylor baseball head coach Mitch Thompson said “it’s awesome” to see baseball added.
“It’s well overdue,” Thompson said. “I can’t believe baseball was not an Olympic sport. I’m excited about it. … It’ll be great for our game.”
Baylor softball head coach Glenn Moore said these additions give a lot of athletes the chance to do something pretty cool.
“Every little girl has the dream of wearing the red, white and blue, and as they grow older, they find out most of them are not going to, but they still have that dream,” Moore said.
In the next five years leading up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, it’s expected that MLB players will be on the Olympic stage, according to ESPN.
Moore said an opportunity like this brings the softball community together.
“If we don’t have anybody representing the U.S. from Baylor, [then] they’re friends with them,” Moore said. “So it’s exciting, and it’s a great sport.”
While baseball and softball have been added to the 2028 Olympics, they’ve been swapped in and out as Olympic sports in years past. Moore said he wants it to be one or the other.
“I wish they’d get consistent with it, so they stop pulling it and putting it back in and pulling it, putting it back in,” Moore said.
Moore said he’s had two athletes — Brittany Turner and Whitney Canion — that have worn the red, white and blue, representing the U.S. in years past. Now, more of his athletes will have the chance to extend that tree.
Baylor baseball and softball are wrapping up fall competition and will get their season underway in the spring. Official schedules haven’t been announced, but stay up to date with @BULariatSports on X, formerly known as Twitter, for the latest.
