Summer Baseball News Archive

Muskego (22-12) won the State Summer Baseball Tournament championship with a 2-1, eight-inning victory over Pius XI Catholic in the title game at Kapco Park in Mequon, Wis., Friday evening.

Frankie Cistaro singled through the middle of the infield to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning for the Warriors, scoring pinch-runner Richard Wauer from second with two outs. They scored a run to tie the game at 1-1 earlier in inning on a squeeze bunt that scored Cooper Tamblyn, who doubled and went to third on a wild pitch.

The Popes had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by Gino D’Alessio, scoring Reyshawn Spewer, who singled earlier in the inning.

Starters TJ Driver and Jacob Leszczynski hooked up in a classic pitchers’ duel for the Popes and Warriors, respectively. They both tossed five shutout innings before giving way to the bullpens. Driver scattered five hits, and Leszczynski allowed just one hit.

Tamblyn was the only player to produce multiple hits in the game for Muskego with two of the Warriors’ seven hits. Wil Martinez led the Popes on offense with two singles, and Spewer had the only other hit for Pius XI.

Zach Schulz was credited with the victory in three innings of relief for Muskego, surrendering one run on two hits. D’Alessio was charged with the loss, yielding two runs on one hit and two walks.

Muskego wins the program’s first championship in its fifth appearance in the State tournament, and Pius XI (30-4) finishes runner-up in its second experience at State.

Muskego advanced to the final following a 1-0 victory over Plymouth in the semifinals earlier in the day. Rob Zolecki tossed only the fifth no-hitter in tournament history, while Wes Kwapick produced the only run of the game on the only hit of the game, a triple in the third inning. The Popes advanced to the title game with a 6-2 win over Menomonee Falls in the semifinals.

THE TOURNAMENT:  The 54th and final Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Summer Baseball State Tournament will take place Friday, July 20, at Kapco Park on the campus of Concordia University in Mequon, Wis. Action will begin at 11:35 a.m. with the first of two semifinals. The second game will follow approximately 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. The championship game will begin at 6:05 p.m. Ticket prices for the tourney are $8 per session and $14 for an all-day ticket. Tickets are available only at the park.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE AND PAIRINGS:  The format features a single elimination tournament with four teams in a single division. The second semifinal game will follow the first game.

Friday, July 20
Semifinals - 11:35 a.m.
Game #1 - Menomonee Falls (26-7) vs. Pius XI Catholic (29-3)
Game #2 - Plymouth (27-6) vs. Muskego (20-12)*
* Following first game of session

Championship Final - 6:05 p.m.
Game #3 - Winner of Game #1 vs. Winner of Game #2

TOURNEY ON SPECTRUM SPORTS CHANNEL:  The semifinals and final of the WIAA State Summer Baseball Tournament will be aired live on Spectrum Sports in Milwaukee and the Fox Valley.

TOURNAMENT LIVE STREAM:  The semifinals and finals of the WIAA State Summer Baseball Tournament will be streamed live on the WIAA.TV portal of the NFHS Network on a consumer subscription basis. To purchase a subscription for the live programming, log-on to www.wiaa.tv and click on the game link listed in the right column under “UPCOMING EVENTS.”

TEAM TOURNAMENT HISTORY:  The WIAA has sponsored the State Summer Baseball Tournament since 1965. Brookfield Central, Oak Creek and West Bend West lead in the number of titles won with four. Brown Deer, Greendale, Homestead and West Bend East have won three State titles followed by Arrowhead, Franklin, Marquette, Menomonee Falls and Nicolet with two. New Holstein has made the most State appearances with 19. West Bend West is second with 14, and Ashland and Plymouth are third on the list with 13. Platteville is next with 12 State Tournament experiences. Franklin has 11 appearances, and Arcadia, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau, Marquette and West Bend East have each made appearances in 10 State Tournaments. The State Summer Baseball Tournament has been won by 30 different schools.

LAST YEAR:  West Bend West won its fourth championship with a 6-4 victory over Marquette in the championship game. The Spartans erased a 1-0 deficit with three runs in the fourth inning. Evan Albrecht belted a lead-off double and scored on a single by Anthony Schlass. The second run of the inning scored on a fielder’s choice and another scored on a double to left by Gavin Hinckley. They added two more runs in the fifth inning on three straight walks including two with the bases loaded. Marquette scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to narrow its deficit to 5-4, but the Spartans responded with an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning on an RBI double by Schlass. Albrecht collected three hits and Schlass had two to lead the Spartans’ offense. Gavin Hinkley was credited with the win on the mound, and Logan Rupnow earned a save in relief.

TOURNAMENT FIELD:   Plymouth returns to the State Tournament for the 13th time overall and for the first time since 2015. The Panthers’ lone State title came in 1982. They also claimed a runner-up finish in 1972. This season, they finished atop the Eastern Wisconsin Conference standings, and they advance from the Random Lake Sectional with an 11-8 victory over New Holstein in the final. Menomonee Falls is making its eighth State appearance overall and its third in the past four seasons. The Indians won back-to-back State titles in 2015 and 2016 and have recorded three runner-up finishes, those coming in 1968, 2001 and 2004. They finished fourth in the Greater Metro Conference standings this season. Their return to the tournament field comes following a 5-3 triumph over Germantown in the sectional final hosted by the Warhawks. Muskego is making its fifth appearance in the State tournament and the first since 2009. The Warriors have advanced to the championship game once in its history of the program, finishing runner-up in 2002.  They advance to the State semifinals this season by virtue of their eight-inning, 6-3 win over Oak Creek in the South Milwaukee Sectional final. The Warriors finished fourth in the Classic 8 Conference this season. Pius XI Catholic is returning to the State tourney for only the second time and for the first time since its only prior appearance resulted in a State championship in 2001. The Popes edged Kettle Moraine 3-2 in the sectional final hosted by Brookfield Central. During the regular season, they won the West Division title of the Woodland Conference.

NEED RESULTS?:  The quickest way to get results will be to follow the live statistics and score of the game on the WIAA website. Access the information at: http://www.wiaawi.org/Sports/BaseballSummer.aspx.  Final scores and boxscores will also be posted following the games.

FOLLOW THE TOURNEY ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Receive the updates of the State Summer Baseball Tournament on the WIAA State Tournament Twitter accounts. The Twitter account is @wiaawistate with the hashtag #wiaabase. Also like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram at wiaawi, and add us on Snapchat at wiaawis.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The elimination of the requirement for the entire pivot foot to be in contact with the pitcher’s plate is among the changes approved for the 2018-19 high school baseball season.

This revision in Rule 6-1-3 was one of three changes recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Baseball Rules Committee at its June 3-5 meeting in Indianapolis. All changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

“We are very fortunate that the state of high school baseball is in an excellent position, which is indicative of the few rules changes that were passed,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and student services and staff liaison for baseball. “We appreciate the hard work of dedicated coaches who, in addition to minimizing risk associated with the sport, teach the game in a way that makes our young people enjoy playing for their high school. We must also acknowledge the highly professional and responsible game umpires. Without their thorough knowledge and implementation of NFHS rules, we would not be able to enjoy the small injury rate and increase in player participation.”

The rationale behind the change to Rule 6-1-3 is a result of the difficulty for pitchers to consistently make contact with the pitcher’s plate when pivoting. Before starting the delivery, the pitcher shall stand with his entire non-pivot foot in front of a line extending through the front edge of the pitcher’s plate and with the pivot foot in contact with or directly in front of and parallel to the pitcher’s plate.
          
“The committee concluded that many pitching mounds are such that it is problematic for a pitcher to have his entire pivot foot in contact with the pitcher’s plate,” Hopkins said. “Therefore, no advantage is gained by having some of the pivot foot not in direct contact with the pitcher’s plate.”
           
The committee also approved two new umpire signals. The two new signals, indicating calls for “Correct Rotation” and “Information Available,” were approved to further improve communication between partners.

“It is always wise to be able to communicate clearly with your partner(s) during a game,” Hopkins said. “With so many moving parts (defensive players, base runners, umpires), it is imperative that umpires communicate easily and inconspicuously from players and fans. These mechanics say a lot without brining attention to the signaling umpire.”

The “Correct Rotation” signal comes when in a three- or four-man mechanic, the umpires indicate to their partner(s) where they are rotating to a specific base for coverage of an anticipated play. The umpire(s) points with both hands in the direction of the base that they are moving toward.

To assist in providing pertinent information between partners, the “Information Available” signal occurs when the game umpire is indicating that he/she has some information that is relevant to their partner by tapping two times over the left chest (heart).

Additionally, the NFHS Rules Review Committee extended the implementation date to Jan. 1, 2020, for baseballs to meet the NOCSAE standard.

According to the 2016-17 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, there are 491,790 boys participating in baseball at 15,979 schools across the country, and 1,145 girls playing the sport in 269 schools.

A complete listing of the baseball rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page, and select “Baseball.”

https://halftime.wiaawi.org/CustomApps/Tournaments/Brackets/HTML/2018_Baseball%20-%20Summer_Boys_Div1_Sec1_4.html

West Bend West (33-0) capped an undefeated season by winning the 2017 State Summer Baseball Championship with a 6-4 victory over Marquette (27-8) at Kapco Park in Mequon, Wis. Saturday morning.

Marquette was first to score with a run in the bottom of the first. Zach Nogalski led off the inning with a double to left center. He later scored on a infield error.

The Spartans took the lead with three runs in the fourth. Evan Albrecht belted a lead-off double and scored on a single by Anthony Schlass. The second run of the inning scored on a fielder’s choice and another scored on a double to left by Gavin Hinckley.

West Bend West added two more runs in the fifth inning. Three straight bases on balls, including two with the bases loaded, accounted for both runs.

Marquette scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to narrow its deficit to 5-4. One run scored on a bases-loaded hit batter. Two more scored on an error of an infield grounder. The Spartans responded with insurance run in the top of the seventh inning on an RBI double by Schlass.

Albrecht collected three hits and Schlass had two to lead the Spartans’ offense. Starting pitcher Gavin Hinkley was credited with the win on the mound, and Logan Rupnow earned a save in relief. The Hilltoppers were held to four hits, including two by Nogalski. Nogalski was charged with the loss in five innings of work.

Marquette finishes runner-up for the second straight season and for the fourth time in six championship game appearances. The Spartans win their fourth State title in 14 appearances in the State Tournament

THE TOURNAMENT:  The 53rd Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Summer Baseball State Tournament will take place Friday, July 21, at Kapco Park on the campus of Concordia University in Mequon, Wis. Action will begin at 11:35 a.m. with the first of two semifinals. The second game will follow approximately 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. The championship game will begin at 6:05 p.m. Ticket prices for the tourney are $8 per session and are available only at the park.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE AND PAIRINGS:  The format features a single elimination tournament with four teams in a single division. The second semifinal game will follow the first game.

Friday, July 21
Semifinals - 11:35 a.m.
Game #1 - Kiel (19-8) vs. Marquette (26-7)
Game #2 - West Bend West (31-0) vs. Franklin (27-6)*

Championship Final - 6:05 p.m.
Game #3 - Winner of Game #1 vs. Winner of Game #2

* Following first game of session

TOURNEY ON SPECTRUM SPORTS CHANNEL: The semifinals and final of the WIAA State Summer Baseball Tournament will be aired live on Spectrum Sports Channel 32 in Milwaukee and Green Bay.

TOURNAMENT LIVE STREAM:  The semifinals and finals of the WIAA State Summer Baseball Tournament will be streamed live on the WIAA.TV portal of the NFHS Network on a consumer subscription basis. To purchase a subscription to the live programming, log-on to www.nfhsnetwork.com and click on the “JOIN NOW”  button on the home page.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY:  The WIAA has been sponsoring the State Summer Baseball Championships since 1965. Brookfield Central and Oak Creek leads in the number of titles won with four. Brown Deer, Greendale, Homestead, West Bend East and West Bend West have won three State titles followed by Arrowhead, Franklin, Marquette, Menomonee Falls and Nicolet with two. New Holstein has made the most State appearances with 19. West Bend West is now second with 14, and Ashland is third on the list with 13. Platteville and Plymouth are next on the list with 12 State Tournament experiences. Franklin has 11 appearances, and Arcadia, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau, Marquette and West Bend East have each made appearances in 10 State Tournaments. The State Summer Baseball Tournament has been won by 30 different schools.

LAST YEAR:  Menomonee Falls won its second consecutive title with a 2-0 shutout over Marquette in the championship game. The Indians scored a pair of runs in the top of the third inning to account for all the scoring in the game. Ty Weber was the difference in the game. His one-out, bases loaded single drove in the only two runs in the game, and he went the distance on the mound with nine strikeouts to post the shutout. He did not allow a runner to advance beyond second base. Weber had two hits in the game, as did Cole Mir and Nick Gile to lead the Indians’ offense. Marquette was held to four hits, all singles.

TOURNAMENT FIELD:  Last year’s runner-up Marquette returns to the State Tournament for the 10th time and for second straight season. The Hilltoppers won State titles in 2006 and 2008. In addition, they finished runner-up in 1999, 2009 and again last season. They finished second in the Greater Metro Conference standings this season. Their return to the State Tournament comes following an 8-0 blanking of Waukesha North in the Brookfield Central Sectional final. Prior to joining the WIAA, Marquette won WISAA championships in 1959, 1962, 1982, 1992, 1993, 1995 and 1997. West Bend West will be making its 14th appearance at the State Tournament and its first since the 2013 season when the Spartans finished runner-up. They have advanced to the title game seven times. They won State titles in 1972, 1984 and 2007, and finished runners-up in 1981, 2010, 2011 and 2013. They finished atop of the standings in the North Shore Conference this year.  They advance to the State semifinals from the Whitefish Bay Sectional with a 7-3 win over two-time defending champion Menomonee Falls in the final. Franklin is making its 11th overall appearance and its second in the last three seasons. The Sabers have won two State titles. Those came back-to-back in 2010-11. In addition to the two State titles, they finished runner-up in 2000. They earned the opportunity to continue their pursuit of a State championship by defeating Muskego 9-3 in the New Berlin Eisenhower Sectional final. The Sabers finished third in the Greater Metro Conference this season. Kiel is making its second State Tournament appearance and its first in 48 years. The Raiders advanced to the championship game in 1969 and finished runner-up. Their return to State was earned following an 8-2 victory over New Holstein in the final of the sectional held at New Holstein. The Raiders placed third in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference standings this season.

NEED RESULTS?:  The quickest way to get results will be to follow the live statistics and score of the game on the WIAA website. Access the information at:  http://www.wiaawi.org/Sports/BaseballSummer.aspx.  Final scores and boxscores will also be posted following the games.

FOLLOW THE TOURNEY ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Receive the updates of the State Summer Baseball Tournament on the WIAA State Tournament Twitter accounts. The Twitter account is @wiaawistate with the hashtag #wiaabase. Also like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram at wiaawi, and add us on Snapchat at wiaawis.

https://halftime.wiaawi.org/CustomApps/Tournaments/Brackets/HTML/2017_Baseball%20-%20Summer_Boys_Div1_Sec1_3.html

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (June 30, 2017) — Effective January 1, 2019, all balls used in high school baseball competition shall meet the NOCSAE (National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment) standard at the time of manufacture.

This revision in Rule 1-3-1 was one of the four changes recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Baseball Rules Committee at its June 4-6 meeting in Indianapolis. All changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

“We are excited that our membership will now have equipment that meets a standard that is consistent across the country,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and student services and staff liaison for baseball. “We are comfortable knowing that all baseballs for high school play will be the same size, same weight and have similar playability.”

The committee also revised Rule 1-5-3, which will require the catcher to wear a chest protector that meets the NOCSAE standard at the time of manufacture, effective January 1, 2020. The NOCSAE standard has been developed to protect the heart and the cardiac silhouette from commotio cordis, which continues the committee’s focus on minimizing risk of injury for players.

“Being aware that a standard exists to protect players, this decision was easy to make,” Hopkins said. “When our catchers wear this chest protector, we are confident that the best protection for their heart is constructed into this equipment.”
The Baseball Rules Committee also modified Rule 1-3-2a2 regarding the components of a bat. The modified language states that bats “not have exposed rivets, pins, rough or sharp edges or any form of exterior fastener or attachment(s) that would present a potential hazard.”

A modification was also made to Rule 8-2-7, which strikes the language preventing a player who is awarded first base on a base on balls the ability to over-run the base and return safely.

A complete listing of the baseball rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page, and select “Baseball.”

According to the 2015-16 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, there are 488,815 boys participating in baseball at 15,956 schools across the country, and 1,290 girls playing the sport in 254 schools.

This press release was written by Marisa Miller, a 2017 summer intern in the NFHS Publications/Communications Department. She is a junior journalism and English major at Butler University.

###

About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 16 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,000 high schools and 11 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.7 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.

Menomonee Falls 2, Marquette 0

Defending champion Menomonee Falls (25-10) won its second straight State Summer Baseball championship with a 2-0 shutout over Marquette (27-7) in the final at Kapco Park Friday evening.

The only scoring in the game came in the Indians’ half of the third inning. After one out, Ryan Piontek and Zack Kornburger singled and Ryan Spalding walked to load the bases. Ty Weber, who set a State Tournament record for two games with six hits, drove in two runs with a single to left field.

Weber pitched a gem, tossing a shutout with nine strikeouts. Weber, Cole Mir and Nick Gile each had a pair of hits to lead the Indians’ 10-hit attack.

Marquette managed just four hits in the game, all singles. The Hilltoppers only had one runner advance to second base in the game.

The Indians claim their second title in seven State appearances. Marquette finishes runner-up for the third time in nine State experiences.

Marquette, Menomonee Falls Advance to State Summer Baseball Final
Menomonee Falls 6, New Holstein 0

Menomonee Falls (24-10) blanked New Holstein (20-11) 6-0 in the semifinals of the State Summer Baseball Tournament Friday at Kapco Park in Mequon.

The Indians’ offense collected 13 hits, including a 4-for-4 performance by Ty Weber, who drove in three runs.

Menomonee Falls posted the only run they would need in the game in the top of the first inning on a lead-off double by Zach Kornburger, who scored on a double by Weber.

Weber drove in two more runs with a single, and Nick Gile doubled in Weber in the Indians’ three-run fourth inning. They added a run in the fifth inning on a run-scoring single by Ryan Piontek to score Jake Sutherland, who walked to lead off the inning.

The Indians added an insurance run in the seventh inning on an RBI single by Kornburger to score Piontek, who reached earlier in the inning on a fielder’s choice.
Logan Roble pitched a complete game to record the win for the Indians. He allowed four hits and struck out two. Cole Mir and Piontek had three hits, and Kornburger chipped in with two hits for Menomonee Falls.

Starter Justin Weber was charged with the loss on the hill for the Huskies. He surrendered four runs on six hits, and Owen Olson gave up a pair of runs on seven hits in relief. Nick Andrew had a pair of singles to lead the Huskies offense.

Marquette 8, Oak Creek 3

Marquette (27-6) advances to the championship game of the State Summer Baseball Tournament with an 8-3 victory over Oak Creek (31-3) Friday morning at Kapco Park in Mequon.

The Knights plated three runs in the third inning. After Joey Richter singled to lead off the inning. He advanced to second on errant throw on a sacrifice by Alec Kent, who was safe at first.  After both runners advanced on a sacrifice, a balk scored Richter with Kent advancing to third.  D.J. Ellifson belted a triple to right field to drive in Kent and then scored on a single by Alex Binelas.

Marquette scored a run in the bottom of the third on an RBI double by Peter Ahn to score Jeromy Schultz, who reached on a fielder’s choice.

The Hilltoppers scored another single run in the fourth inning without the aid of a hit. Two walks, two stolen bases and a wild pitch pushed across the run.

Marquette sent 10 hitters to the plate in a six-run sixth inning. Jack Dwyer and Jim Jarecki each drove in a run with a single in the inning, and Jack Shemanski drove in a pair with a double to right center. An error and a walk also produced runs in the inning.

Dwyer was credited with the victory for the Hilltoppers, yielding five hits and striking out six in six innings of work.  Matt Hamilton was charged with the loss in relief for Oak Creek.

By Maddie Koss, NFHS

High school baseball rules now will require a pitching restriction policy based on the number of pitches thrown in a game.

(Note:  The WIAA Board of Control passed a pitch count for baseball in June.  Click HERE.)

The revised pitching policy in Rule 6-2-6 was one of six rules changes approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Baseball Rules Committee at its June 5-7 meeting in Indianapolis. The rules changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

Each NFHS member state association will be required to develop its own pitching restriction policy based on the number of pitches thrown during a game to afford pitchers a required rest period between pitching appearances.

“We’re pleased that the rules committee worked in conjunction with the NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee to find an acceptable and reasonable modification to this rule in order to emphasis the risk that occurs when pitchers overuse their throwing arm,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and student services and staff liaison for baseball.

The Baseball Rules Committee also revised Rule 2-32-2 regarding sliding into home plate. The revised language states: “At home plate, it is permissible for the slider’s momentum to carry him through the plate in the baseline extended.” The committee altered this rule since the physical design of home plate makes it difficult for a runner to break momentum on a slide – as opposed to the other three elevated bases which are elevated.

The committee also revised Rule 3-3-1, which states the umpire has the ability to give three warnings to a coach or player before he or she is removed from the game.

“Officials now have the opportunity to provide a tiered warning system for coaches or players,” Hopkins said. “It provides the coaches or players with a teachable moment to change their unsportsmanlike behavior in order to stay in the game.”

A new article 6 was added to Rule 8-3 to provide a rules reference for an existing ruling in the Baseball Case Book. The new article reads: “When a plate umpire hinders, impedes or prevents a catcher’s throw attempting to prevent a stolen base or retire a runner on a pickoff play, if an out is not made at the end of the catcher’s initial throw, the ball shall be dead and all runners shall return to the bases occupied at the time of the interference.”

The rules committee also approved an addition to Rule 8-4-2, which states that any runner is out when he is physically assisted by a coach. This rule change supports a revision in Rule 3-2-2 Penalty, which states that the runner shall be called out immediately when he is physically assisted by a coach.

A complete listing of the baseball rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page, and select “Baseball.”

According to the 2015-16 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, there are 486,567 boys participating in baseball at 15,899 schools across the country, and 1,203 girls playing the sport in 260 schools.

https://halftime.wiaawi.org/CustomApps/Tournaments/Brackets/HTML/2016_Baseball%20-%20Summer_Boys_Div1_Sec1_2.html

Menomonee Falls (28-7) won its first State Summer Baseball championship with a six-inning, 11-0 shutout over Franklin (27-8) in the tournament final Friday at Kapco Park in Mequon, Wis.

The Indians scored three runs in each of the first two innings to take command of the game. The rallies were ignited by five hits and four critical Franklin errors. They added five runs in the sixth inning fueled by a pair of Franklin errors and four hits, including a two-run double by Myles Mayer.

Zack Kornburger led the Indians’ offensive attack with three hits, including a double three runs scored, and Lucas Kiel added a pair of hits to go with his six shutout innings to earn the victory.

Franklin committed six errors in the game, leading to nine unearned runs. Mike Davis collected two of the Sabers’ five hits.

Franklin finishes runner-up for the second time to go with two State titles. Those came in 2010 and 2011.

Menomonee Falls advanced to the final with an 8-3 victory over Pewaukee (24-11) in the semifinals. Trailing 3-2 in the fourth inning, the Indians exploded for six runs on just two hits. Ty Weber collected the big hit with a two-run triple. He led the Indians at the plate with two hits and was credited with the victory, striking out six in five innings.

The Pirates were led at the plate by Matt Clark’s two hits. It was the third State appearance for Pewaukee.

Franklin advanced to the title game with an 11-4 win over Plymouth (23-7) in the semifinals. The Sabers led 3-1 before scoring five runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh to secure the victory.

Parker Plume belted three hits, including a tournament game record two triples and a double. Jacob Gain also tied the record for triples in a game with two and drove in five runs. Mike Davis, Sammy Harmeyer, Malik Flores and David Schmidt each add two hits apiece to spearhead the Sabers 16-hit attack. Their five triples in the game set a State Tournament record.

Joe Fortman tossed five innings to record the win and received relief help from Ryan Busalacchi.

Plymouth got a pair of hits from Zac Cain and Cole Karcewski . The Panthers participated in their 12th State Tournament.

THE TOURNAMENT:  The 51st Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Summer Baseball State Tournament will take place Friday, July 24, at Kapco Park on the campus of Concordia University in Mequon, Wis. Action will begin at 11:35 a.m. with the first of two semifinals followed by the championship game at 6:05 p.m. Ticket prices for the tourney are $8 per session and are available only at the park.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE AND PAIRINGS:  The format features a single elimination tournament with four teams in a single division. The second semifinal game will follow the first game.

Friday, July 24
Semifinals - 11:35 a.m.
Game #1 - Plymouth (23-6) vs. Franklin (26-7)
Game #2 - Menomonee Falls (26-7) vs. Pewaukee (24-10)*

Championship Final - 6:05 p.m.
Game #3 - Winner of Game #1 vs. Winner of Game #2

* Following first game of session

STATE TOURNAMENT GAMES ON THE WEB:   The final of the State Summer Baseball Tournament will be live streamed on foxsportswisconsin.com with no subscription fees. The semifinals of all four divisions of the WIAA State Summer Baseball Tournament will be streamed live on the WIAA.TV portal of the NFHS Network on a consumer subscription basis. To purchase a subscription to the live programming, log-on to www.nfhsnetwork.com and click on the “JOIN NOW” button in the upper right corner of the page.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES ON FS WISCONSIN:  Watch the delayed broadcast of the WIAA State Summer Baseball Championship game on FS Wisconsin. The game is scheduled to air on Saturday, Aug. 1 at 3 p.m. Check local cable listings for the channel in your area.

TEAM TOURNAMENT HISTORY:  The WIAA has been sponsoring the State Summer Baseball Championships since 1965. Brookfield Central and Oak Creek leads in the number of titles won with four. Brown Deer, Greendale, Homestead, West Bend East and West Bend West have won three State titles followed by Arrowhead, Franklin, Marquette and Nicolet with two. New Holstein has made the most State appearances with 18. Ashland and West Bend West are second on the list of tournament appearances with 13; Platteville and now Plymouth have played in 12 State Tournaments. Arcadia, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau, West Bend East and now Franklin have each made appearances in 10 State Tournaments. The State Summer Baseball Tournament has been won by 30 different schools.

LAST YEAR:  Brookfield Central won its fourth State championship and its first since 2000 by downing Homestead 9-2 in the championship game. With the game tied at 2-2, the Lancers scored three runs in the third and fourth inning to gain control of the game. Jonathan Keane drove in three runs, and Matt Ausloos, Elijah Goodman and Aaron Hammond each had a pair of hits to lead the Lancers’ hitting attack. Ausloos was also credited with the victory, pitching six scoreless innings in relief. Trevor Cho was the leading hitter for Homestead with three hits.

TOURNAMENT FIELD:  Plymouth returns to the State Tournament for the 12th time overall and for the second straight season. The Panthers’ lone State title came in 1982. They also claimed a runner-up finish in 1972. This season, they finished atop the Eastern Wisconsin Conference standings, and they advance from the Howards Grove Sectional with an 8-5 victory over rival Sheboygan Falls in the final.  Franklin is making its 10th appearance and its first since winning the second of back-to-back championships in 2011. In addition to the two State titles, the Sabers finished runner-up in 2000. They earned the opportunity to continue their pursuit of the State title  by defeating Oak Creek 2-1 in eight innings in the Greendale Sectional final. The Sabers finished second in the Greater Metro Conference behind Oak Creek this season. Menomonee Falls is making its sixth appearance and its first since 2008. The Indians have recorded two runner-up finishes that represent their most notable achievements in the State Tournament. Those came in 2001 and 2004. They finished fourth in the Greater Metro Conference standings this season. The Indians defeated Grafton 4-2 to capture the title of the Whitefish Bay Sectional and advance to the State semifinals. Pewaukee returns to State for the first time since back-to-back appearances in 1971 and 1972. The Pirates fell in the quarterfinal round in their first appearance and in the semifinals in 1972. They are the victors of the Wauwatosa West Sectional with their 7-6 win over Pius XI in the final. The Pirates were runners-up in the West Division of the Woodland Conference this season.

NEED RESULTS?:  The quickest way to get results will be to follow the live stats and scoreboard of the game on the WIAA website. Access the information at: http://www.wiaawi.org/Sports/BaseballSummer.aspx. Final scores and boxscores will also be posted following the games.

https://tournaments.wiaawi.org/BA2015D1

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 6, 2015) – Rules changes for the 2016 baseball and softball seasons were made at rules committee meetings last month in Indianapolis. Those changes were subsequently approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Board of Directors.
BASEBALL
Beginning with the 2016 season, umpires will be required to issue a warning to coaches before restriction to the bench/dugout or ejecting them as part of a new penalty progression to promote preventive officiating.
The revision to Rule 3-3-1 Penalty was one of two changes recommended by the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee at its June 7-9 meeting.
Previously, issuing a warning to an offending coach was optional for umpires, who will now restrict to the bench/dugout or eject coaches who commit a violation after previously being warned for a minor offense. However, coaches can still be ejected on a first offense if it is deemed to be major.
Also part of the modification to Rule 3-3-1 Penalty, coaches who receive a written warning (Rule 10-2-3) will be restricted to the bench and/or dugout for the remainder of the game.
“The new rule change has initiated a penalty progression, starting with a written warning, restriction to the bench/dugout and subsequent ejection from the contest,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and student services and liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee.
The changes to Rule 3-3-1 Penalty will help to de-escalate contentious situations and allow coaches to dictate their status in the game by their behavior, Hopkins said.
“A successful game official practices preventive officiating, and this new penalty progression will allow the official to issue penalties that give the coach the opportunity to remain in the game and teach his players.”
The other change approved by the Baseball Rules Committee is an addition to Rule 3-3-1. Article “q” will state that a coach, player, substitute, attendant or other bench personnel shall not “have any physical contact, spitting, kicking of dirt or any other physical action directed toward an umpire.” The addition of article “q” serves to clarify other behaviors that would result in an ejection from the game, Hopkins said.
“Bad behavior that is being imitated from other levels has no place in education-based athletics and will not be tolerated,” Hopkins said. “If we are to continue to use sport to teach life lessons, then we have to ensure that appropriate behavior and conduct are modeled from those adults in the role of coach/teacher.”
In addition to the two rules changes, the Baseball Rules Committee approved three Points of Emphasis for the 2016 season. Points of emphasis are developed by NFHS rules committees and should receive special focus and attention by officials, coaches, players, fans and other leaders within the high school setting.
Points of Emphasis developed by the Baseball Rules Committee for the 2016 season are as follows:
INTERMEDIATE PENALTIES/RESTRICTION TO THE BENCH/DUGOUT
PROPER CATCHER’S EQUIPMENT
SPORTSMANSHIP – CELEBRATIONS AROUND OR NEAR THE PLATE AND POST-GAME EJECTIONS
 

SOFTBALL
In softball, one rule change was recommended by the NFHS Softball Rules Committee at its June 15-17 meeting. In the new Article 4 of Rule 2-57, the committee provided a standard definition of a “projected” substitute.
Rule 3-3-3 prohibits the use of a projected substitute, which is now defined in the new article as “a player who does not immediately participate in the game.”
“There has been some confusion among both officials and coaches about substitution procedure,” said Theresia Wynns, NFHS director of sports and officials education and liaison to the Softball Rules Committee. “Therefore, the committee felt it was necessary to clear up that process and provide coaches and officials with a standard definition of a projected substitute.”
             The following Points of Emphasis were approved by the Softball Rules Committee:
STRIKE ZONE (FP)
DP/FLEX EDUCATION
PITCHING (FP)

According to the NFHS Athletics Participation Survey, baseball is the fourth-most popular sport for boys at the high school level with 482,629 participants in 15,789 schools. Fast-pitch softball is the fifth-most popular sport for girls with 364,297 participants in 15,225 schools during the 2013-14 season.

This press release was written by Brandon Jones, a summer intern in the NFHS Publications and Communications Department and a junior at Indiana University Bloomington.

###
About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 16 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,000 high schools and 11 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.7 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 6, 2015) – Rules changes for the 2016 baseball and softball seasons were made at rules committee meetings last month in Indianapolis. Those changes were subsequently approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Board of Directors.

BASEBALL

Beginning with the 2016 season, umpires will be required to issue a warning to coaches before restriction to the bench/dugout or ejecting them as part of a new penalty progression to promote preventive officiating.
The revision to Rule 3-3-1 Penalty was one of two changes recommended by the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee at its June 7-9 meeting.

Previously, issuing a warning to an offending coach was optional for umpires, who will now restrict to the bench/dugout or eject coaches who commit a violation after previously being warned for a minor offense. However, coaches can still be ejected on a first offense if it is deemed to be major.

Also part of the modification to Rule 3-3-1 Penalty, coaches who receive a written warning (Rule 10-2-3) will be restricted to the bench and/or dugout for the remainder of the game.

 “The new rule change has initiated a penalty progression, starting with a written warning, restriction to the bench/dugout and subsequent ejection from the contest,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and student services and liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee.

The changes to Rule 3-3-1 Penalty will help to de-escalate contentious situations and allow coaches to dictate their status in the game by their behavior, Hopkins said.

“A successful game official practices preventive officiating, and this new penalty progression will allow the official to issue penalties that give the coach the opportunity to remain in the game and teach his players.”

The other change approved by the Baseball Rules Committee is an addition to Rule 3-3-1. Article “q” will state that a coach, player, substitute, attendant or other bench personnel shall not “have any physical contact, spitting, kicking of dirt or any other physical action directed toward an umpire.” The addition of article “q” serves to clarify other behaviors that would result in an ejection from the game, Hopkins said.

“Bad behavior that is being imitated from other levels has no place in education-based athletics and will not be tolerated,” Hopkins said. “If we are to continue to use sport to teach life lessons, then we have to ensure that appropriate behavior and conduct are modeled from those adults in the role of coach/teacher.”

In addition to the two rules changes, the Baseball Rules Committee approved three Points of Emphasis for the 2016 season. Points of emphasis are developed by NFHS rules committees and should receive special focus and attention by officials, coaches, players, fans and other leaders within the high school setting.

Points of Emphasis developed by the Baseball Rules Committee for the 2016 season are as follows:
INTERMEDIATE PENALTIES/RESTRICTION TO THE BENCH/DUGOUT
PROPER CATCHER’S EQUIPMENT
SPORTSMANSHIP – CELEBRATIONS AROUND OR NEAR THE PLATE AND POST-GAME EJECTIONS

SOFTBALL

In softball, one rule change was recommended by the NFHS Softball Rules Committee at its June 15-17 meeting. In the new Article 4 of Rule 2-57, the committee provided a standard definition of a “projected” substitute.
Rule 3-3-3 prohibits the use of a projected substitute, which is now defined in the new article as “a player who does not immediately participate in the game.”

“There has been some confusion among both officials and coaches about substitution procedure,” said Theresia Wynns, NFHS director of sports and officials education and liaison to the Softball Rules Committee. “Therefore, the committee felt it was necessary to clear up that process and provide coaches and officials with a standard definition of a projected substitute.”

             The following Points of Emphasis were approved by the Softball Rules Committee:
STRIKE ZONE (FP)
DP/FLEX EDUCATION
PITCHING (FP)

According to the NFHS Athletics Participation Survey, baseball is the fourth-most popular sport for boys at the high school level with 482,629 participants in 15,789 schools. Fast-pitch softball is the fifth-most popular sport for girls with 364,297 participants in 15,225 schools during the 2013-14 season.

This press release was written by Brandon Jones, a summer intern in the NFHS Publications and Communications Department and a junior at Indiana University Bloomington.

###
About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)

The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 16 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,000 high schools and 11 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.7 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.

STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, in partnership with Rural Mutual Insurance Company, has selected the team Sportsmanship Award winners for the 2014 Spring and Summer State Team Tournaments.

The winners of the prestigious award are New Holstein in girls soccer, Eau Claire Memorial in boys tennis, Arcadia in softball, Oconto in spring baseball and Oak Creek in summer baseball.

New Holstein and its fan base demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship in a 2-1 loss to Assumption in the Division 4 State finals and in a 2-1 victory over Racine St. Catherine’s in the semifinals of the State Girls Soccer Tournament. It is the second time the Huskies have been honored for its positive sportsmanship in girls soccer and it’s the fifth award overall. They were also recognized in girls soccer in 1999 and three times in summer baseball (2003, 2007, 2009).  Honorable mention for the award was extended to Ashland, Assumption, Cedarburg, Kettle Moraine, Lake Country Lutheran/University School/Trinity, Mount Horeb, Muskego, Racine St. Catherine’s, Rhinelander and Xavier.

It is the first time Eau Claire Memorial has been named the recipient of the Sportsmanship Award in boys tennis, and it is the seventh time the school has received the award across all sports. In 1970, the school and its fans were recognized in boys basketball. In 1992 and 2000, the Old Abes won the award in boys hockey, and in 1999, 2005 and 2012 they won it in girls tennis. They also added a sportsmanship award in girls soccer in 2005. The Old Abes finished runner-up in Division 1 with a 6-1 loss to Brookfield East in the State final. They advanced to the championship match with a 7-0 win over Waukesha South in the quarterfinals, and a 7-0 blanking of Oregon in the semifinals. Edgewood, Neenah and University School received honorable mention for the award.

Oconto is the recipient of the Rural Mutual Insurance/WIAA Sportsmanship Award for the second time and for the first time in spring baseball. In 2012, the school was honored for its sportsmanship in girls volleyball. The Blue Devils finished runner-up in Division 3 this season, after downing Racine St. Catherine’s 5-4 in the semifinals, they were shutout 6-0 by Wisconsin Heights in the title game. Janesville Parker, Middleton, Mondovi, Notre Dame, Racine St. Catherine’s, Ripon and Wisconsin Heights received honorable mention for the award.

Oak Creek was selected as the winner of the award in summer baseball. Overall, it’s the second Sportsmanship Award for the Knights. They also received the honor in team wrestling 1996. They fell in their semifinal match-up to eventual runner-up Homestead, 7-5.  

Arcadia earned the Sportsmanship Award at the State Softball Tournament for the first time. The Raiders won the State title by edging Laconia 1-0 in the Division 3 championship game after a 1-0 shutout over Grantsburg in the semifinals. It is the third time the school has received a Sportsmanship Award. The other two came in summer baseball in 1997 and 2000.  Schools receiving honorable mention were Cochrane-Fountain City, Grantsburg, Hortonville, Ithaca,  Laconia, McFarland, Mishicot, New Berlin Eisenhower, Oakfield, Racine Case and Verona.

The WIAA/Rural Mutual Insurance Sportsmanship Award is presented to one school and community in each of the State team tournaments. The award winners are determined by the conduct and sportsmanship displayed by athletes, coaches, cheer and support groups, mascots, bands and spectators. Additional consideration is given for the effort of school administrators and chaperones to insure support for their teams are positive and that the highest ideals of sportsmanship are upheld. Award winners receive a plaque and banner in recognition of the honor. Schools receiving honorable mention are acknowledged with a certificate of recognition.

The selection process includes evaluations from contest officials, tournament management, as well as, security personnel, crowd control and ushers, and WIAA staff members.

Brookfield Central (29-6) won its fourth State Summer Baseball Championship with a 9-2 victory over Homestead (26-8) in the championship game of the 2014 State Summer Baseball Tournament Friday at Kapco Field in Mequon, Wis.

It’s the fourth State title for the Lancers, who tie Oak Creek for the most titles among member schools. Homestead finishes runner-up for the second time in its nine appearances at State, which includes three championships.

The Lancers struck with two runs in the first inning and never trailed. Elijah Goodman drove in a run with a single and Jonathan Keane ground out to drive in the second run of the inning. The Highlanders tallied single runs in both the first and second innings to tie the game at 2-2.

However, the Lancers score three runs in the third inning with four hits, including a two-run single by Keane, who drove in three runs in the game. They score three more runs in the fourth inning without the aid of a hit. Three walks came around to score on a pair of sacrifice flies and a wild pitch.

Brookfield Central added an insurance run in the sixth inning with a single by Matt Ausloos, who had two hits in the game, as did Goodman and Aaron Hammond to lead the Lancers’ hitting attack. Matt Hodges scored three times in a pinch-runner’s role. Ausloos was credited with the victory on the hill with six innings of scoreless relief.

Trevor Cho had three of the Highlanders five hits at the plate. Erik Skaar lasted two innings and was charged with four earned runs and suffered the loss.

Brookfield Central (28-6) defeated Plymouth (28-5) 2-1 in the semifinals to advance to the championship final Friday.

The game was dominated by pitching as Brookfield Central recorded the first hit of the game in the third inning off Plymouth starter Zac Cain. The Panthers didn’t get their first hit until the fifth inning when they recorded their only two hits to generate their only run of the game.

The Lancers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning on a squeeze play executed by Josh Peltier to score pinch runner Matt Liewen. The Panthers tied the game in the bottom half of the inning on a two-out, pinch-hit single to right field by Jarred Schneider.

The eventual winning run was scored in the sixth inning when a walk and an error led to a run-scoring single by Riley Keays. Lancer starter Elijah Goodman pitched into a bit of trouble in the sixth inning. He walked two batters to start the inning, but struck out the next two hitters and got the third to fly out to shallow right field eliminate the threat.

Goodman struckout 13 batters and walked two to notch the complete-game victory. Cain allowed two unearned runs with six strikeouts to be charged with the loss. Andrew Schneider had a pair of hits to lead the Lancers’ hitting attack.

Plymouth was eliminated from its 11th State Tournament appearance.

Homestead (26-7) advanced to the Summer Baseball Tournament championship game with a 7-5 victory over Oak Creek in its semifinal match-up Friday.

The Highlanders scored five times in the bottom of the first inning on just two hits. After the first two hitters walked and a sacrifice, Trevor Cho drove in a run on an error. After an RBI single by Bryce Juedes, Michael Schulz belted a two-run triple and later scored on a sacrifice fly.

Mitch Hart blasted a solo home run to left center in the second inning to get the Knights on the, but the Highlanders came back with a run in their half of the inning on a Cho sacrifice fly.

The Knights narrowed their deficit to 6-5 with four runs in the third inning. Matt Hargreaves kept a long drive down the left field line fair for a three-homer and Matt Hamilton singled in a run later in the inning. Ben Garstecki came in relief to get the final two outs of the inning for the Hilltoppers to prevent further damage.

Homestead added an insurance run in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Juedes, and Garstecki tossed the final four scoreless innings to earn the victory.

Oak Creek (24-10) was eliminated from its seventh State Tournament appearance. Jesse Sustachek was saddled with the loss, yielding 12 hits in the six innings of work.

THE TOURNAMENT:  The 50th Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Summer Baseball State Tournament will take place Friday, July 25, at Kapco Park on the campus of Concordia University in Mequon, Wis. Action will begin at noon with the first of two semifinals followed by the championship game at 6:35 p.m. Ticket prices for the tourney are $8 per session and are available only at the park.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE AND PAIRINGS:  The format features a single elimination tournament with four teams in a single division. The second semifinal game will follow the first game.

Friday, July 25
Semifinals - Noon
Game #1 - Homestead (25-7) vs. Oak Creek (24-9)
Game #2 - Plymouth (28-4) vs. Brookfield Central (27-6)*

Championship Final - 6:35 p.m.
Game #3 - Winner of Game #1 vs. Winner of Game #2

* Following first game of session

STATE GAMES ON THE WEB:  The semifinals and finals of the WIAA State Summer Baseball Tournament will be streamed live on foxsportswisconsin.com.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES ON FS WISCONSIN:  Watch the delayed broadcast of the WIAA State Summer Baseball Championship game on FS Wisconsin. The game is scheduled to air on Thursday, July 31 at 7 p.m. Check local cable listings for the channel in your area.

TEAM TOURNAMENT HISTORY:  The WIAA has been sponsoring the State Summer Baseball Championships since 1965. Oak Creek leads in the number of titles won with four. Brookfield Central, Brown Deer, Greendale, Homestead, West Bend East and West Bend West have won three State titles followed by Arrowhead, Franklin, Marquette and Nicolet with two. New Holstein has made the most State appearances with 18. Ashland and West Bend West are second on the list of tournament appearances with 13; Platteville has played in 12 State Tournaments and Plymouth now has 11. Arcadia, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau and West Bend East have each made appearances in 10 State Tournaments. The State Summer Baseball Tournament has been won by 30 different schools.

LAST YEAR:  New Berlin West won its first State championship by outlasting West Bend West 11-6 in eight innings in the championship game. The Vikings took a 3-0 lead with three runs in the third. The Spartans got on the board with a run in the fourth inning on a bases-loaded walk, but the Vikings responded with three more runs in the fifth inning powered by three doubles. The Spartans tied the game at 6-6 with five runs in the sixth, including a three-run double by Jacob Kopp. New Berlin West posted five runs in the top of the eighth fueled by five hits. Andy Knoll had three hits in the game for the Vikings, and Allen Peil drove in four runs with a pair of hits. Nicholas Wolf collected three hits for the Spartans. The teams combined for 19 hits, nine errors and 18 bases on balls.

TOURNAMENT FIELD:  Four-time champion Oak Creek will be making its seventh appearance at the State Tournament and its first since winning the title in 2012. The four titles are the most of any program, and the Knights are the only program to win three straight championships when they were crowned champions from 2003-2005. They finished in a first-place tie with Marquette in the Greater Metro Conference this year, and they advanced through the Greendale Sectional with a 6-4 win over Greendale in the final. Brookfield Central, which finished third in the Greater Metro Conference behind co-champions Oak Creek and Marquette, won the Waukesha West Sectional to advance to the State Tournament with a 4-0 blanking of Hamilton in the sectional final. The Lancers are making their first appearance since 2001, and they are attempting to win their fourth championship. Their three previous titles came in 1969, 1976 and 2000. Homestead qualifies for the State Tournament for the ninth time overall and for the first time since 2009. The Highlanders have won three State titles, capturing championships in 1974, 1978 and 1994, and they added a runner-up finish in 2003. Homestead finished runner-up in the North Shore Conference this year and advanced through the Whitefish Bay Sectional with a 10-4 win over host Whitefish Bay in the final. Plymouth returns to the State Tournament for the 11th time overall and for the first time since 2006. The Panthers’ lone State title came in 1982. They also claimed a runner-up finish in 1972. This season, they finished atop the Eastern Wisconsin Conference standings, and they advance from the sectional hosted at Plymouth with a 12-2, six-inning victory over arch rival Sheboygan Falls in the final.  

NEED RESULTS?:  The quickest way to get results will be to follow the live stats of the game on the WIAA website at: http://www.wiaawi.org/Sports/BaseballSummer.aspx.  
Final scores and boxscores will also be posted following the games.

2014 Summer Baseball Brackets are released:  Sections 1 & 3 | Sections 2 & 4

Rules Changes Approved in High School Baseball, Softball

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                              Contact: Elliot Hopkins, Theresia Wynns

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 8, 2014) — Beginning with the 2015 high school baseball season, teams will be allowed to use video monitoring or replay equipment for coaching purposes during games.

This revision to Rule 3-3-1 was one of five changes recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Baseball Rules Committee at its June 8-10 meeting in Indianapolis. The committee’s recommendations were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

Previously, video equipment was permitted but it could not be used during games for coaching purposes.

“With advancements in technology, it was extremely difficult for officials to determine if teams were using video replay during games,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and educational services and liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee. “The committee determined it was the right time to permit teams to use these technological aids if they so choose.”

In softball, two rules changes were recommended by the NFHS Softball Rules Committee at its June 16-18 meeting in Indianapolis and subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

Rules 1-6-1 and 1-7-1 were revised to state that the batting helmet and the catcher’s helmet shall have a non-glare surface (not mirror-like).

Theresia Wynns, NFHS director of sports and officials education and liaison to the Softball Rules Committee, said the committee instituted these changes because helmets that are mirror-like in nature are distracting and could be dangerous for other players.

In other baseball rules changes, the committee expanded the definition of interference in Rule 2-21 to include follow-through interference and backswing interference.

Rule 2-21-4 will state that “follow-through interference is when the ball hits the catcher after the batter has swung at a pitch and hinders action at home plate or the catcher’s attempt to play on a runner,” and Rule 2-21-5 will state that “backswing interference is when a batter contacts the catcher or his equipment prior to the time of the pitch.”

Hopkins said that follow-through interference and backswing interference are separate and distinct acts that previously were not addressed in Rule 2-21. The rule previously covered offensive, umpire and spectator interference.

The rules committee approved a change in Rule 1-5-1 regarding the batting helmet to be consistent with the rule for helmets used by defensive players. As is the case with head protection worn by field players, the batting helmet now must have a non-glare surface (cannot be mirror-like in nature) and meet the NOCSAE standard at the time of manufacture.

The definition of a foul ball in Rule 2-16-1 was expanded to be consistent with language elsewhere in the rules book. Specifically, Rule 2-16-1f will now state that a foul is a batted ball “that hits the batter in the batter’s box.” Article “g” will state that a foul is a batted ball “that hits the ground or home plate and then hits the batter or the bat which is held by the batter while he is in the batter’s box.”

The final change approved by the Baseball Rules Committee involves the following additional language to Courtesy Runner Rule No. 1: “In the event that the offensive team bats around, the pitcher and/or catcher who had a courtesy runner inserted on their behalf may bat in their normal position in the batting order.”

Baseball is the fourth-most popular sport for boys at the high school level with 474,791 participants in 15,632 schools during the 2012-13 season, according to the NFHS Athletics Participation Survey. Fast-pitch softball is the fifth-most popular sport for girls at the high school level with 362,488 participants in 15,067 schools during the 2012-13 season.  

The 2014 summer baseball bracket is now posted on the WIAA website.

Click on the link below to view.

2014 Summer Baseball Tournament Bracket

THE TOURNAMENT:  The 49th Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Summer Baseball State Tournament will take place Friday, July 19, at Kapco Park on the campus of Concordia University in Mequon, Wis. Action will begin at noon with the first of two semifinals followed by the championship game at 6:35 p.m. Ticket prices for the tourney are $8 per session and are available only at the park.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE AND PAIRINGS:  The format features a single elimination tournament with four teams in a single division. The second semifinal game will follow the first game.

Friday, July 19
Semifinals - Noon
Game #1 - Sheboygan Falls (17-11) vs. West Bend West (23-8)
Game #2 - Kettle Moraine (25-5) vs. New Berlin West (24-5)*

Championship Final - 6:35 p.m.
Game #3 - Winner of Game #1 vs. Winner of Game #2

* Following first game of session.

STATE GAMES ON THE WEB:  The semifinals and finals of the WIAA State Summer Baseball Tournament will be streamed live on foxsportswisconsin.com.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES ON FS WISCONSIN:  Watch the delayed broadcast of the WIAA State Summer Baseball Championship game on FS Wisconsin. The game is scheduled to air on Thursday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m. Check local cable listings for the channel in your area.

TEAM TOURNAMENT HISTORY:  The WIAA has been sponsoring the State Summer Baseball Championships since 1965. Oak Creek leads in the number of titles won with four. Brookfield Central, Brown Deer, Greendale, Homestead, West Bend East and West Bend West have won the most State championships with three, followed by Arrowhead, Franklin, Marquette and Nicolet with two. New Holstein has made the most State appearances with 18. Ashland is second on the list of tournament appearances with 13; Platteville and West Bend West have made 12 appearances; and Arcadia, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau, Plymouth and West Bend East have each made appearances in 10 State Tournaments. The State Summer Baseball Tournament has been won by 30 different schools.

LAST YEAR:  Oak Creek won its membership-leading fourth State championship by defeating Germantown 5-4 in the championship game. The Knights erased a 4-0 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and scored the winning run in the seventh. Three of the four runs scored by the Knights in the sixth were unearned on three Germantown errors. Tanner Johnson, Riley Shelton and Dakota Slone led the Knights offense, each with a pair of hits.

TOURNAMENT FIELD:  West Bend West will be making its 13th appearance at the State Tournament and its eighth in the last 10 seasons. The Spartans won State titles in 1972, 1984 and 2007, and have had runner-up finishes in 1981, 2010 and in 2011. They finished fourth in the North Shore Conference this year and qualified through the Cedarburg Sectional with a 4-3 win over Nicolet in the final. Sheboygan Falls returns to the State Tournament for the third straight season and for the fifth time overall. The Falcons won the championship in 1973. This season, they finished third in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference, and they advance from the sectional final held at Campbellsport with a 3-1 victory over Kewaskum. New Berlin West makes its second overall appearance and its first since its only other appearance in 2010. The Vikings lost in the quarterfinals in that initial experience. They defeated Muskego 3-2 in the Whitnall Sectional final to advance to the State semifinals. They were champions in the West Division of the Woodland Conference this season. Kettle Moraine is making its third appearance at State. The Lasers’ two other appearances resulted in a State title in 1988 and a runner-up finish in 2008. They finished atop the Classic 8 Conference standings this summer and are the qualifiers out of the Brookfield Central Sectional following a 3-0 win over Pius XI in the final.

NEED RESULTS?:  The quickest way to get results will be to access the summer baseball page on the WIAA website at: http://www.wiaawi.org/Sports/BaseballSummer.aspx and choose the appropriate 2013 link on the summer baseball State Tournament results page.  

https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Baseball_Summer/2013/bracket.pdf

Batter Interference with Catcher

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 2, 2013) — Changes to high school baseball rules will include an additional example of how a batter can interfere with the catcher’s ability to field or throw.

This year’s rules changes were approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Baseball Rules Committee at its June 2-4 meeting in Indianapolis. The rules changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

“The committee felt that the game is in a very good state,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and educational services and staff liaison for baseball.

The committee voted to added “including backswing interference” to Rule 7-3-5c to address that specific type of batter interference. The rule now reads, “A batter shall not interfere with the catcher’s fielding or throwing by making any other movement, including backswing interference, which hinders action at home plate or the catcher’s attempt to play on a runner.

The committee also revised Rule 6-1-3 to state that the pitcher’s entire pivot foot must be in contact with or directly in front of and parallel to the pitcher’s plate.

The committee also established several points of emphasis for the 2014 season, including malicious contact, coaching attire and umpire authority and enforcement.

“These are topics that I get calls and e-mails about during the course of a season,” Hopkins said. “I share those with the committee and if they are seeing the same types of problems, then the red flag goes up.”

Contact or a collision is considered to be malicious if:

1.      The contact is the result of intentional excessive force;

2.      The contact occurs close to the bag or home plate or above the waist of the receiving player; or

3.      There was intent to injure.

Malicious contact can occur without these conditions if determined by the umpire, but these provide a starting point.

Even with cutbacks for uniform funds, coaches should still be dressed in a similar fashion to the players as a means of helping umpires recognize members of the coaching staff.

The final point of emphasis deals with umpires’ authority. The committee noted that coaches must set the example of appropriate behavior so the team and its fans can follow.

Disputing the umpire’s calls, failing to comply with an umpire’s command, exaggerating the time for offensive conferences, gamesmanship and challenging the umpire’s authority cannot be tolerated, the committee stated.

“We want coaches to be role models for civility,” Hopkins said. “The umpire has to make a final decision and the coach has to handle it with class and character.”

These changes take effect in 2014.

Baseball is the fourth-most popular sport for boys at the high school level, according to the 2011-12 NFHS Athletics Participation Survey, with 474,219 participants nationwide. The sport ranks third in school sponsorship with 15,838 schools offering the sport.

This press release was written by Jason Haddix, a 2013 spring/summer intern in the NFHS Publications/Communications Department. He is a senior at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis studying journalism and medical imaging.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (December 20, 2012) — The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), in partnership with USA Baseball, has developed “Fundamentals of Coaching Baseball” – the latest online sport-specific course in its Coach Education Program available at www.nfhslearn.com <http://www.nfhslearn.com> .

Along with instructional demonstrations from Washington Nationals players and team manager Davey Johnson, the course is designed for interscholastic baseball coaches and is hosted by George Grande, legendary Cincinnati Reds broadcaster.

“We are pleased and excited to put together this coaches education program,” Grande said. “For the last 40 years, I was a player, a coach and now a broadcaster in Major League Baseball. During that period of time, the goal has been to honor this game, and to make our young people as good as they can be in the game of baseball. That’s what this course is all about.”

“USA Baseball is excited to have partnered with the NFHS in the creation of the ‘Fundamentals of Coaching Baseball’ course,” said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball executive director/chief executive officer. “We see the implementation of this course as a critical step in the development of youth and high school baseball coaches across the country. As the National Governing Body, we are proud to present such an impactful tool to coaches and, by extension, their players.”

"We are proud of our partnership with USA Baseball and are pleased to be able to offer this course," said Tim Flannery, NFHS director of coach education. "It is an excellent tool and resource for teaching the skills of the game."

The course is divided into five units: Coaching Philosophy, Offense, Defense, Pitching and Team Strategies. These units teach the basic skills of throwing and catching, offensive skills, overview of each position’s role, good team defense tactics, how to develop a practice plan and additional coaching tips that coaches can use to teach and help improve their teams. Additional resources, video demonstrations and references are also included within this course.

“Fundamentals of Coaching Baseball” will be a standard requirement for USA Baseball amateur National Team staff members beginning in 2013.  The course, with its flexible online and mobile platforms, will also be phased in for coaches participating in USA Baseball sanctioned events during the next few seasons.  

The NFHS Coach Education Program offers 32 online courses, including the two core courses – “Fundamentals of Coaching” and “First Aid, Health and Safety for Coaches.” The NFHS also offers 14 sport-specific courses and 16 elective courses, including seven that are free.

All NFHS Coach Education Program courses are available at www.nfhslearn.com <http://www.nfhslearn.com> .

# # #

This press release was written by Shane Monaghan, graphic arts technician/editorial assistant in the NFHS Publications/Communications Department.

About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)

The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 17 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,000 high schools and 11 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.6 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information about the NFHS, visit www.nfhs.org <http://www.nfhs.org> . Access and order NFHS Coach Education courses at www.nfhslearn.com <http://www.nfhslearn.com> .

About USA Baseball
USA Baseball is the national governing body for the sport of baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). The organization selects and trains the World Baseball Classic, World Cup and Pan American teams (and all other USA Baseball professional teams), and the Collegiate, 18U, 15U and Women’s National Teams, all of which participate in various domestic and international competitions each year. USA Baseball also presents the Golden Spikes Award annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country. For more information, please visit www.USABaseball.com <http://www.USABaseball.com>  and www.GoldenSpikesAward.com <http://www.GoldenSpikesAward.com> . 

Effective immediately (posted 8/14/12) and until further notice, this bat (Reebok Vector TLS 32" length) should be considered a non-compliant bat and subject to NFHS Baseball Rules 4-1-3b and 7-4-1a. More information, click here.

Please be advised that the BBCOR decertification process has been implemented for the Reebok

Vector TLS 32-inch model (non-wood baseball bat).   This is an NFHS office action.

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, in cooperation with Rural Mutual Insurance Company, has selected the team Sportsmanship Award winners for the 2012 Spring and Summer State Team Championships.
The winners of the prestigious award are Notre Dame in boys tennis, Tigerton in softball, Greenwood in spring baseball, the Lake Country Lutheran and University Lake School co-op in girls soccer and Sheboygan Falls in summer baseball.

It is the first time Notre Dame has been named the recipient of the Sportsmanship Award in boys tennis, and it is the sixth time the school has received the award across all sports, including in girls basketball this past winter. In addition, the girls soccer team won the award in 2002 and 2011; the boys soccer program was the recipient in 2007; and the girls tennis program was honored in 2008. The Tritons won the championship in Division 2 this season following a 4-3 victory over University School in the State Boys Team Tennis championship match. They advanced to the title match via a 6-1 win over Edgewood in the semifinal. Homestead and Kenosha Tremper received honorable mention for the award.

Tigerton was bestowed the honor in softball for its efforts to preserve the ideals of sportsmanship en route to a runner-up finish in Division 4 at the State Softball Tournament. The Tigers shutout Thorp 2-0 in the semifinal before dropping a 5-4 decision to Oakfield in the championship game. It is their second Sportsmanship Award in the sport and second overall. The first came in 2010. Schools receiving honorable mention were Appleton East, De Soto, Germantown, Pacelli, Plymouth, Thorp and West De Pere.

Greenwood was selected as winner of the award in spring baseball, which marks the first time the school has receive the Sportsmanship Award. The Indians lost their first and only game of the season to Johnson Creek in the Division 4 semifinals by the score of 8-5. Coleman, Fox Valley Lutheran and Pittsville each received honorable mention.

The co-op of Lake Country Lutheran and University Lake School receives the Sportsmanship Award for the first time. The girls soccer program and its fans demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship with enthusiastic and positive cheers. The Lightning won the Division 3 championship with a 3-1 win over The Prairie School in the title game after downing St. Mary Central in the semifinals, 3-2 in overtime. Honorable mention for the award was extended to Catholic Memorial, Divine Savior Holy Angels, Notre Dame, Oostburg, St. Mary Central, The Prairie School, Waukesha West and Xavier.

Sheboygan Falls was selected as the winner of the award for the first time in summer baseball after receiving honorable mention at the State Tournament last year. It’s the second Sportsmanship Award for the Falcons overall.  They received the honor in boys team tennis in 1996. Last week, they lost their semifinal to eventual champion Oak Creek, 10-0 in five innings. Germantown, Oak Creek and Waukesha West received honorable mention.

The WIAA/Rural Mutual Insurance Sportsmanship Award is presented to one school and community in each of the State team tournaments. The award winners are determined by the conduct and sportsmanship displayed by athletes, coaches, cheer and support groups, mascots, bands and spectators. Additional consideration is given for the effort of school administrators and chaperones to insure support for their teams are positive and that the highest ideals of sportsmanship are upheld. Award winners receive a plaque and banner in recognition of the honor. Schools receiving honorable mention are acknowledged with a certificate of recognition.

The selection process includes contributions and evaluations from contest officials, tournament management, police and security personnel, crowd control and ushers, WIAA staff members, area hotels and restaurants.

THE TOURNAMENT:  The 48th Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Summer Baseball State Tournament will take place Friday, July 20, at its new home at Kapco Park on the campus of Concordia University in Mequon, Wis. Action will begin at noon with the first of two semifinals followed by the championship game at 6:35 p.m. Ticket prices for the tourney are $8 per session and are available only at the park.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE AND PAIRINGS:  New in 2012, the new format features a single elimination tournament with four teams in a single division. The second semifinal game will follow the first game.

Friday, July 20
Semifinals - Noon
Game #1 - Germantown (24-9) vs. Waukesha West (22-9)
Game #2 - Sheboygan Falls (25-4) vs.  Oak Creek (26-7)*

Championship Final - 6:35 p.m.
Game #3 - Winner of Game #1 vs. Winner of Game #2

* Following first game of session.

STATE GAMES ON THE WEB:  The semifinals and finals of the WIAA State Summer Baseball Tournament will be streamed live on foxsportswisconsin.com.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES ON FS WISCONSIN:  Watch the delayed broadcast of the WIAA State Summer Baseball Championship game on FS Wisconsin. The game is scheduled to air on Saturday, Aug. 4 at 11:30 a.m. Check local cable listings for the channel in your area.

TEAM TOURNAMENT HISTORY:  The WIAA has been sponsoring the State Summer Baseball Championships since 1965. Brookfield Central, Brown Deer, Greendale, Homestead, Oak Creek, West Bend East and West Bend West have won the most State championships with three, followed by Arrowhead, Franklin, Marquette and Nicolet with two. New Holstein has made the most State appearances with 18. Ashland is second in the number of tournament appearances with 13; Platteville and West Bend West have made 12 appearances; and Arcadia, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau, Plymouth and West Bend East have each made appearances in 10 State Tournaments. The State Summer Baseball Tournament has been won by 29 different schools.

LAST YEAR:  Franklin won its second straight State championship by defeating West Bend West 5-4 in the championship game. The Sabers took a 5-2 lead into the seventh inning and held on to win following a pair of runs scored on the second of two home runs hit by the Spartans’ Dylan Hinckley. Trevor Theissen and Jake Penegor led the Sabers offense, each with a pair of hits.

TOURNAMENT FIELD:  Oak Creek returns to the State Tournament for the first time since 2008 and for the sixth time overall. The Knights became the only program to win three straight championships when they were crowned champions from 2003-2005. They finished second in the Greater Metro Conference this year and advanced through the West Allis Hale Sectional with a 9-1 win over West Allis Hale in the final. Germantown is appearing at State for the second time in the last three seasons and for the third time overall. The Warhawks lost in the quarterfinals in 2010 and advanced to the semifinals in their first-ever appearance in 1986. They finished atop the standings in the North Shore Conference this summer, and they are the representatives from the Cedarburg Sectional by virtue of their 3-2, eight-inning win over Arrowhead in the final.  Waukesha West is back in the State Tournament for the eighth time in the last 11 years and for the third year in a row. The Wolverines also made four straight appearances from 2002-05 and advanced to the semifinal round in 2003 and 2010. They finished in a tie for first place in the Classic Eight Conference with Kettle Moraine this season and proceeded to win the sectional they hosted by defeating Brookfield East 4-3 in the final. Sheboygan Falls returns to the State Tournament for the second straight season and for the fourth time overall. The Falcons won the championship in 1973. This season, they finished second in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference, and they advance from the sectional final held in Sheboygan Falls with a 6-0 victory over Kewaskum.

NEED RESULTS?:  The quickest way to get results will be to access the summer baseball page on the WIAA website at: www.wiaawi.org/Sports/BaseballSummer/RecordsResults.aspx and choose the appropriate 2012 link on the summer baseball State Tournament results page.

Tournament Bracket    |  Summer Baseball Sectional Pairings

Germantown, Oak Creek, Sheboygan Falls and Waukesha West won their sectional finals to advance to the State Tournament scheduled for Friday, July 20 at Kapco Park in Mequon. Kapco Park is located on the campus of Concordia University.  

The WIAA began offering a summer baseball tournament program in 1965.  The first State Tournament was held in West Bend.  New Holstein defeated Brown Deer, 2-1, in the first State finals.  The tournament moved to Stevens Point in 1989 and has been played through last year.  This is the first year the tournament will be played at Kapco Park.  

State Tournament action will occur on Friday, July 20 with semifinal games scheduled to begin at 12 noon.  The championship game is scheduled to start at 6:35 p.m.  Tickets are $8 for each session and are sold only at the ticket window at Concordia University Field during the State Tournament.  There is no advance sale.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 13, 2012) — New language has been added to the high school baseball rules to re-emphasize that non-wood bats cannot be altered.

This additional note in Rule 1-3-2 was one of four rules changes approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Baseball Rules Committee at its June 3-5 meeting in Indianapolis. All rules changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

The new note in Rule 1-3-2 is as follows: “The NFHS has been advised that certain manufacturers consider alteration, modification and ‘doctoring’ of their bats to be unlawful and subject to civil and, under certain circumstances, criminal action.”

“Not only is it a violation of NFHS baseball rules to alter a non-wood bat, this new language emphasizes that an individual could be subjected to a civil or criminal lawsuit for tampering with a bat,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and educational services and staff liaison to the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee.

Two other changes deal with the use of new technology. Rule 3-3-1f prohibits the use of video monitoring equipment for coaching purposes during the game, and Rule 3-3-1i prohibits the use of any electronic devices in the coach’s box.

“Technology has improved to the level that mobile devices can accurately video different aspects of the game, which provides an unfair advantage to a coach by replaying the footage in the dugout during the contest,” Hopkins said. “The committee also agreed that there was no reason to have any electronic devices in the coach's box.”

The final change approved by the Baseball Rules Committee deals with the warm-up criteria for a pitcher who replaces an ejected player during an inning. If a pitcher is ejected, an incoming pitcher will be afforded the same warm-up criteria as a replacement for an injured player.

Under normal circumstances, a relief pitcher is allowed eight warm-up throws; however, the umpire may allow additional pitches because of an injury, ejection or inclement weather.

A complete listing of all rules changes approved by the committee is available on the NFHS Web site at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Athletics & Fine Arts Activities” on the home page, and select “Baseball.”

Baseball is the fourth-most popular sport for boys at the high school level, according to the 2010-11 NFHS Athletics Participation Survey, with 471,025 participants nationwide. The sport ranks third in school sponsorship with 15,863 schools sponsoring the sport.

Need scores for July 17 summer baseball regional games.  Click here.

The NFHS is proud to announce the launching of “A Guide to Acclimatization and Heat Illness Prevention.” This FREE course is available at www.nfhslearn.com <http://www.nfhslearn.com> ! This course can be taken on mobile devices, including ipads and tablets.

A Guide to Heat Acclimatization and Heat Illness Prevention

Course Objectives:

Rec·Recognize that Exertional  Heatstroke (EHS) is the leading preventable cause of death among athletes.

·     Know the importance of a formal pre-season heat acclimatization plan.

·       Know the importance of having and implementing a specific hydration plan, keeping your athletes well-hydrated, and providing ample opportunities for, and encouraging, regular fluid replacement.

·       Know the importance of appropriately modifying activities in relation to the environmental heat stress and contributing risk factors (e.g., illness, overweight) to keep your athletes safe and performing well.

·       Know the importance for all staff to closely monitor all athletes during practice and training in the heat, and recognize the signs and symptoms of developing heat illness.

·       Know the importance of, and resources for, establishing an Emergency Action Plan and promptly implementing it in case of suspected EHS or other medical emergency.

Unit 1: Go slow and progressive

·       Acclimatization can take up to 10-14 days

·       Build a period of acclimation into the first 2 weeks of practice.

Unit 2: Allow for individual conditioning and medical status

·       Factors contributing to higher risk for heat illness

o   Equipment

o   Body composition

·       Athletes with Sickle Cell trait

Unit 3: Adjust intensity and rest

·       Be aware of weather and humidity levels

Unit 4: Start sessions adequately hydrated

§  Dehydration can impair athletic performance

§  There isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” hydration approach

§  Dehydration occurs when a person loses more fluid than he or she consumes

§  Know the warning signs of dehydration

§  Monitor urine color

§  Weigh in/weigh out

§  Know what your athletes drink

o   Water

o   Sports drinks

Unit 5: Recognize signs early

Unit 6: Recognize more serious signs

Unit 7:  Have an Emergency Action Plan

The seeding meetings for the 2012 WIAA State Summer Baseball Tournament have concluded and the brackets are available: Click Here. 

The State Summer Baseball Tournament moves to Kapco Park at Concordia College in Mequon this summer. In addition to the new venue and site, the tournament also sports a new format that features a one-day tournament with semifinal games followed by the championship final Friday, July 20. 

 The first State semifinal game is scheduled to begin at noon with the second semifinal to follow approximately 30 minutes after. The championship game is slated for 6:30 p.m.

Effective immediately (posted 3/26/12) and until further notice, this bat (Reebok Vector TLS 33" length) should be considered a non-compliant bat and subject to NFHS Baseball Rules 4-1-3b and 7-4-1a. More information, click Here. Bat Pix

Effective immediately (posted 2/21/12) and until further notice, this bat (Marucci CAT5 33" length) should be considered a non-compliant bat and subject to NFHS Baseball Rules 4-1-3b and 7-4-1a.  More Information, Click here. Bat Pix

The BBCOR standard is required on all bats for the 2012 season.  Certified Bat List for Competition  (This listing is provided by the NCAA.  Whether a bat is on this list or not, Any Bat not made from a Single Piece of Wood must have the BBCOR (Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution) Silkscreen or Permanent Mark.)
 

The WIAA has received notification from NFHS concerning the "RIP-IT" bat with the "BBCOR .50" bat markings on the tapered part of the bat. The marking on the tapered part of the bat is legal for the maker of the RIP-IT bat ONLY. Any other bat must meet the current standards.  This waiver is good for this year only, and the RIP-IT bat will meet standards next year.

Since the ruling about the RIP-IT baseball bat was made on February 13, 2012, information has been received that indicates that a couple of other manufacturers have placed the BBCOR labels on the taper of the bat rather than on the barrel.  Therefore, for the 2012 season, the BBCOR label may be placed on either the barrel or the taper of the bat.

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS: The 47th Annual Wisconsin InterscholasticAthleticAssociation Summer Baseball State Championships will take place Wednesday-Thursday, July 27-28, at Bukolt Park in Stevens Point, Wis. Action will begin Wednesday at 10:05 a.m. and will resume at 10:05 a.m. Thursday. Ticket prices for the tourney are $8 per session and are available only at the stadium.

Read Full Release.

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS: The 62nd Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Spring Baseball State Championships will take place Tuesday-Thursday, June 16-18, at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis. Ticket prices for the tourney are $6 per session and are available only at the stadium.

Read Full Release.