Towson announced Friday that it was cutting its baseball program, as well as men's soccer, while adding men's tennis in a move to cut athletic department costs and better comply with Title IX gender-equity laws.

The university, based in suburban Baltimore, originally announced its intention to cut baseball in October, spurring supporters of the program to launch efforts save it. The Baltimore Sun reported that a group of the school's most prominent graduates and supporters, along with parents from the baseball team, lobbied university president Maravene Loeschke to save the program, but their efforts were not enough. The paper reported that Towson coach Mike Gottlieb, who has been with the team since joining it as a player in 1977, was informed of Loeschke's decision in a meeting with athletic director Mike Waddell this morning.

In what will be its final baseball season, Towson is off to a 6-4 start. The Tigers won a road series at Duke last weekend, and they open Colonial Athletic Association play this weekend against Delaware.

A message for Gottlieb was not immediately returned.