The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Extending high school baseball, softball seasons by two weeks is a good idea
The OHSAA board of directors could vote as early as June 1 on a proposal that would extend the baseball and softball seasons by two weeks starting in 2019.
Am I the only one who thinks this is a nobrainer?
This is only my second spring sports season in Northeast Ohio. But, even more than last year, it feels like this baseball season is over before it really gets started thanks to endless rainouts and unplayable fields. According to a few area coaches, back in 2011 teams were only able to get in 11 or 12 regular-season games before the sectional tournament began.
If you factor in the new baseball pitch count rule enacted this season by the OHSAA on top of postponement after postponement, this season has been one of trial and error, and the frustration among teams is palpable.
A mere two weeks seems like easiest the solution to ease coaches’ and players’ minds and offer a bit of relief to teams who find themselves playing five or six games a week in late-April with little time off, much less time for practice.
Take my home state of Michigan for example: This season, the MHSAA baseball and softball tournaments begin May 30 with state finals being held June 15-17.
While Michigan high school teams begin that first round of the postseason, most Ohio teams’ seasons have long been over as the OHSAA baseball and softball state finals are June 1-3.
It’s worth mentioning the MHSAA also enacted the same pitch count rule this season as the one by the OHSAA.
I came across an argument from an out-of-area Marissa McNees coach who is against this new proposal due to a lack of interest in extending the season weeks after school lets out for the summer.
I was a coach once (freshman volleyball, but that’s a story for another day). I understand there comes a point in the season when you’re exhausted and ready for the season to end. But it’s two weeks. Are we really happy with the way the baseball and softball seasons currently operate that we’d rather not add just 14 more days to the schedule to allow more time for practice? Or for pitchers to rest their arms rather than put a sophomore on the mound who’s never thrown a varsity game because a coach had to deplete his pitching staff the day before?
I never played a spring sport in high school, but both my younger siblings did.
I watched my brother in back-to-back regional appearances in baseball and my sister and her softball team make an incredible run to the final four for the first time in school history — both playing in mid-June and neither even remotely upset about still playing despite having been out of school for a few weeks.
Maybe I’m missing something that an OHSAA official or area athletic director can fill me in on, but this proposal seems long overdue and, really, the only downside is that we have to wait till 2019 for it to take effect.
Reach McNees at MMcNees@ MorningJournal.com. On Twitter: @MarissaNM
High school baseball tournament capsules
OH, 44047 May 15, 4:30 NDCL 9-9
Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin posted a strong 4-1 win over Perry in a sectional final. The Lions enter this game off a 2-1 loss to Padua and were swept by Mentor in a doubleheader on May 13. A victory over the Bulldogs would potentially send the Lions into a matchup with rival Lake Catholic to decide the district title.
NDCL