New IHSAA Softball Tournament Format

[bucketboy]

From the IHSAA

A new format has been passed by the IHSAA for the softball state tournament that eliminates the Friday state semifinal games and replaces it with a semistate round on the prior Saturday, beginning in the 2009-10 school year.

The start of sectionals (May 24-29, 2010) will remain the same in the new format, but a one-game regional on Tuesday (June 1, 2010) would be followed by a four-team semistate on Saturday (June 5, 2010), with four state championship games one week later (June 12, 2010).

The previous format allowed 64 sectional champions to advance to four-team regionals on Saturday, with those 16 winners moving to the Friday state semifinals followed by the four state championship games the next day.


Is it June Yet???

[hsballer]

So that means your team will lose a whole week earlier than last year.

[bucketboy]

No actually dd's high school team played in the State Final game last year and have a very good chance of playing in it again this year, but if not then it just means they will get back to their travel teams a week earlier. A win-win either way.

Cudo's to the IHSAA for making the change in the format and for the 43' pitching distance change as well.

[gunshy]

This schedule adjustment is a welcome change. Last year our HS team won Sectionals and then had 11 days to wait before Regionals. There is also the unintended benefit of freeing up more kids to start their travel seasons earlier. As the Semi-State games are played a week earlier, the non-winners of that round will be free to begin travel a week earlier than under the old format. Win-win.

[slapperdad]

Doesn't really matter one way or the other to me, DD can start travel ball after game one of the sectional no matter what the format.

[hsballer]

After reading some of these threads and hearing the anticipation of 43ft for pitchers, I think they better be careful what they wish for. I watched many successful h.s. pitchers just get crushed this past summer in travel ball at 43ft. Following the so called "stats" that are posted by IHSAA, it was amazing to see the kids with era's around 1.50 just get thumped by average hitting. Some cases run-ruled.

[Stratos]

After reading some of these threads and hearing the anticipation of 43ft for pitchers, I think they better be careful what they wish for. I watched many successful h.s. pitchers just get crushed this past summer in travel ball at 43ft. Following the so called "stats" that are posted by IHSAA, it was amazing to see the kids with era's around 1.50 just get thumped by average hitting. Some cases run-ruled.

So you saw a bunch stud pitchers at 40ft get thumped at 43ft this past summer by "average hitters". I am assuming that these kids you saw were at Showcases, because 16u is still at 40ft (excluding showcases). So if indeed you did watch them at showcases. I can only assume that hitting probably was above just "average" hitting. Definately better than the average high school lineup. Runs will go up, but it is equal among all the teams. The bad teams will be bad, the good teams will be good regardless of the 43ft.

[hsballer]

What are you talking about Stradantos!! Who said anything about 16u. Let me type this slower for you.... I saw dominating h.s. pitchers get hit hard by average hitters/hitting teams this past summer at 43'. My definition of average hitting- Kids that batted around the 300 mark for HS. Come to think of it, thats the more realistic avg. When I think of great hitters that will be succesfull at 43' this coming season and that won't get the padded stats from dugout mom's and dad's, I think of Jones(carmel), Prince(cg),Klingberg(cp), Ragor(hse), marcum(np), sapp(mv) Teller(mccutcheon)etc... These kids are not the swing hard/swing fast hitters, they are the kids that hit to all fields and queens the breaking pitches as seen this summer.
I saw 6 earned runs put on Esparza, several on Franklin, many on Thomas. I heard Lewis, Ramey and Evans were hit hard a few time this summer as well. My point being, pitchers will have a true test come sectional and regional time. Message to High School coaches, you may want to spend a bit more time with some fielding fundamentals instead of running laps and batting practice.

[jag1]

hsballer......no need to sugar-coat it...lo..! .........I think going to 43' will adversely effect alot of h.s. pitchers. Many of them that were marginal/"adequate", will struggle and look bad. ...on the other hand, the more talented kids will seperate themselves and look more dominant. I foresee alot of "walk-fests"...

[sballfan]

I would like to think that maybe some kids who struggled at the plate at 40 ft. might actually benefit from the extra three feet to watch a pitch. Especially against the better pitchers that throw junk. That being said, they need to put in the work in the offseason to get better but so many of the talented players have been playing in showcases will be ready to hit and run for sure so the stars will still be the stars again. I have never understood why college has been at 43 and high school at 40 so I think it will benefit alot of kids in the long run. Outfielders who normally don't have to make a play will definitely be more busy in some cases! I appreciate both sides of the story though I have to say. It will be interesting to see a discussion next year after we have played a season at 43 and look at the stats for hitting and pitching both.