UT left fielder Ted Arpin and designated hitter Mike Huskisson instigated the 1977 formation of UT Batgirls. Dressed in orange, deep-V T-shirts and white short shorts, the female students chased foul balls, handed out programs at games, and retrieved tossed bats. An editorial in the Daily Beacon indicated that there was much comment about exploitation of female students in an effort to raise lagging attendance.
The Batgirls received no pay and had to purchase their own uniforms ($28). Seventy-two female students sought the positions in the program’s first year, and thirteen were chosen. At the time of formation of the group, the University of Florida, UT at Chattanooga, and the University of Alabama were among institutions that had established similar women’s auxiliaries. By 1984 the group was called Diamond Girls.