MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As the high school baseball season is back in full swing, teams and coaches around the state are getting adjusted to the new pitch count rules now being enforced around the state.
Prior to this year, required days rest for pitchers was based off of innings thrown. But the National Federation of High School Associations this past summer mandated that each NFHS member state association be required to develop its own pitching restriction policy based on the number of pitches thrown during a game.
“We think it brings some sanity to baseball, so that we don’t overuse the arms and we don’t have kids getting Tommy John surgery in high school – that’s uncalled for,” said West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission executive director Bernie Dolan. “We think (the pitch count rule) is a needed change. It was innings-based before, but some innings might be three pitches and other innings might be 40 pitches.”
There is no rest required for up to 30 pitches in game, one day rest for 31-50 pitches, two days rest for 51-75 pitches and three days rest for 76-110 pitches.
When the pitcher reaches 110 pitches, he may not pitch to another batter. He may only finish pitching to the current batter (at bat).
No player is permitted to pitch in four consecutive days.
Enforcing the new rules has taken some additional work as well. During the game, each team designates an individual to log pitches from the dugout. The home team also provides a pitch count recorder in the press box or assigned area to record pitch counts.
“After each half-inning, they meet and confirm – if they all agree, that’s the number; if two agree, that’s the number; if none of them agree, it defaults to the person in the press box,” Dolan said. “It’s also public, if you come to the next game, you can ask to see the pitch chart for (the opposing team). It’s an open book that we have to be able to show everybody.”
Violations of the pitch count rule are considered in the same manner as a school using an ineligible player, with the minimum penalty resulting in a forfeiture of the game. Additional potential penalties from the SSAC include head coach suspension and program probation.
Pitch counts aside, the postseason will also have a new look this year on the diamond as each region has only two sections, instead of four. Previous baseball postseasons had double-elimination sectional tournaments, followed by single elimination regional semifinal and regional final matchups leading to the state tournament.
The now-bigger sections will still be a double elimination format, but the two sectional winners from each region will instead play a best of three series to determine the regional champion.
“By the time they are through playing all of that, we should get the best teams into Charleston for the baseball tournament,” Dolan said.
The state tournament format also has a tweak this year with coaches voting to seed the participants one through four – the same process that is currently done for the eight-team basketball state tournaments.
Baseball state tournaments in the past have been predetermined matchups of regional winners – a process that has, in many cases, led to better semifinal games than championships.
“It’s our first time seeding the final four teams,” Dolan said. “So we should have our better matchups set for the championship.”
SECTIONAL AND REGIONAL ALIGNMENTS
CLASS AAA
Region 1, Section 1: Brooke, John Marshall, Wheeling Park
Region 1, Section 2: Buckhannon-Upshur, Morgantown, Preston, University
Region 2, Section 1: Hedgesville, Martinsburg, Musselman, Spring Mills
Region 2, Section 2: Hampshire, Jefferson, Washington
Region 3, Section 1: Capital, George Washington, South Charleston, St. Albans
Region 3, Section 2: Greenbrier East, Princeton, Riverside, Woodrow Wilson
Region 4, Section 1: Parkersburg, Parkersburg South, Ripley
Region 4, Section 2: Cabell Midland, Huntington, Hurricane, Spring Valley
CLASS AA
Region 1, Section 1: Berkeley Springs, Frankfort, Grafton, Keyser, Petersburg, Philip Barbour
Region 1, Section 2: East Fairmont, Fairmont Senior, North Marion, Oak Glen, Weir
Region 2, Section 1: Bridgeport, Elkins, Liberty (H), Lincoln, Robert C. Byrd
Region 2, Section 2: Braxton County, Clay County, Herbert Hoover, Lewis County, Nicholas County, Roane County
Region 3, Section 1: Independence, Liberty (R), Oak Hill, Westside, Wyoming East
Region 3, Section 2: Bluefield, James Monroe, PikeView, River View, Shady Spring
Region 4, Section 1: Point Pleasant, Nitro, Poca, Sissonville, Wayne, Winfield
Region 4, Section 2: Chapmanville, Lincoln County, Logan, Man, Mingo Central, Scott
CLASS A
Region 1, Section 1: Bishop Donahue, Cameron, Hundred, Madonna, Valley (W), Wheeling Central
Region 1, Section 2: Magnolia, Paden City, St. Marys, Tyler Consolidated, Ritchie County
Region 2, Section 1: Clay-Battelle, Doddridge County, Gilmer County, Notre Dame, South Harrison, Trinity Christian, Tygarts Valley
Region 2, Section 2: East Hardy, Harman, Moorefield, Paw Paw, Pendleton County, Tucker County, Union, WV School for the Deaf
Region 3, Section 1: Charleston Catholic, Fayetteville, Midland Trail, Pocahontas County, Richwood, Valley (F), Webster County
Region 3, Section 2: Greater Beckley Christian, Greenbrier West, Meadow Bridge, Montcalm, Mount View, Summers County
Region 4, Section 1: Calhoun County, Parkersburg Catholic, Ravenswood, Wirt County, Wahama, Williamstown
Region 4, Section 2: Buffalo, Hannan, Sherman, St. Joseph Central, Tolsia, Tug Valley, Van