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An email offering fundraising help to the UND baseball program from former pitcher Andrew Thome to Athletic Director Brian Faison on Sept. 3, 2015, never received a response.
On Tuesday, UND announced it will be cutting baseball and men's golf after this season in order to assist with the university's nearly $10 million budget deficit.
Thome, who now pitches for the Class A affiliate of the Houston Astros, started the email thanking Faison for adding full cost of attendance scholarships.
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He then wrote: "My father and some of his colleagues are in good financial situations and have a great deal of experience with fundraising money for their respective companies. I have spoken with my dad about doing fundraising for field upgrades and other miscellaneous needs the program might have, and he has jumped on board knowing how much UND has given me.
"It has given me the opportunity to live out my dream as a professional baseball player and our family is forever grateful. If there is a way that me and my dad could meet with you to talk about some fundraising opportunities at some point in the fall, we would be very appreciative of the opportunity."
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On Wednesday, after copies of the email circulated on social media among the UND baseball team members, Faison acknowledged he had received the email Sept. 3.
"It was very nice, but I just read the first paragraph," Faison told the Herald. "I didn't read on. It was a very nice letter, but frankly, I just skimmed it. It wouldn't have mattered. We weren't worried about our budget at that time, but I should have responded and acknowledged the letter."
Andrew's father, Scott Thome, is vice president of global operations at St. Jude Medical in St. Paul, Minn.
