Baseball hopes to submit a joint bid with softball in an effort to gain reinstatement for both to the Olympics for the 2016 Summer Games.

The presidents of the International Baseball Federation and International Softball Federation are scheduled to meet today in Orlando to discuss baseball’s idea. Because the sports are among seven competing for a maximum of two openings on the 2016 program, baseball argues that a joint bid would improve its chances and those of the women’s sport.

Don Porter, the softball federation president, said in a telephone interview Wednesday that while he’ll listen to what baseball has to say, a joint bid is less than likely to happen “because we have to find some assurance — more than there is now — that it would be more than helpful for us to regain our Olympic status.”

“There’s always a possibility, but it’s a matter of where our discussion leads to,” he said. “We’re in a fight for our lives for our sport. We’ll see where they’re coming from.”

In a separate telephone interview Wednesday, IBAF president Harvey Schiller said the sports would help each other get added to the 2016 program. Schiller said the move also would let the IOC accommodate three of the sports bidding, rather than two.