Another LHSAA Black Eye

[Deleted]

Reading the article this morning in the Advocate, I can't help but believe the LHSAA has blown it yet again. This is a decision, not a rule. They are cancelling series and kicking teams out of the playoff without giving them a chance on the field. Weather has been horrible and made it difficult to play, but the next series games are not due until the end of the week. They should give every player and team the opportunity to compete. Beau Chene, Newman, Northlake Christian and University need a Trial Attorney !!...St Martins game was declared final with 2 innings left to play, this is a 1A game and only has 1 game per round, so there not even given the chance to play a complete game. Livonia, vs. Teurlings, have started and not completed the second game. Not sure of decision there. If you are allowing the teams who are 1-1 to play today or tomorrow, you could certainly have allowed these teams to finish their series and games. Can't imagine what they have taught the players by doing this !!

theadvocate.com/sports/latestsports/15661515-128/lhsaa-rules-university-high-out-of-baseball-playoffs

[Brad]

May 2, 2016 6:33:20 GMT -6 @powerhouse1961 said:

This is a decision, not a rule.

Its actually a rule in the handbook.

"If only one game has been completed due to any reason prior to the Monday after the scheduled end of the series, the series shall be reduced to a single elimination game, and the game that was played shall be the game of record."

I think SportsNola got this right when they called this a short-sighted rule.  I am sure this rule will be re-written.

SportsNola Article

[chalmetteowl]

it's a rule and for a reason... you want teams stuck in hotels indefinitely in limbo like we could have had this weekend?

[Deleted]

Still think they should have given the kids the opportunity to compete with the third round not scheduled until the end of the week. In the 1A game, they did not even allow them to finish the game in a one game series where the deadline was Tuesday. In the 4A game they had already started the second game. Just a shame to end a lot of these kids careers without giving them a chance to fully compete. I have to wonder, had it been a 5A game with a Jesuit or Barbe, do you think they would be so quick to tell Latino or Cecchini sorry Coach, it's over even though there are several days left before the next round !!...I seriously doubt it.

[Deleted]

We have started proposals already for the Dec. Meeting.
-Next available date regardless will go into affect.
-In a 3 game series, a pitcher can not start two games. Also, a pitcher will not throw the next day after a long start. Rule has it as next game. If the game is 3 days later( and happens to be the next game) then the pitcher would be available for some short work.
-This is a big one! Umpires will be agreed upon by the coaches again!!! Pretty smart sending Ruston umpires to a game bw Laf high and Acadidana. The umpires have been sitting in two hotel rooms for 4 nights in a row on laf highs dime. Plus travel, plus perdiem. No reason not to use Lafayette officials. I know the river parish umpires and some other associations wont like it. All i can say is sorry boys, get better at officiating a game.

[sportschaser]

Officials association should always be chosen by the state. You don't change a rule because of one situation. Simple solution, after a couple of days, then send them home and bring in another crew.... but it's best policy to keep teams out of it.  Otherwise, favoritism and politics (both teams and officials) can become involved like they did years ago when teams made the choice. 

About 6-7 years ago, Eunice stalled to play a quarterfinal playoff game on a Monday instead of the Saturday before to accommodate for a wedding situation and it rained and rained and rained....and rained out the next Monday and Tuesday and forced the game to be played Wednesday with the winner advancing to the State Tournament on Thursday..... Eunice won and had to travel and play the semi-final the next night on Thursday. Needless to say they got 10 run ruled in the semi-finals.  So unless there is a new rule in place..... precedence is to play the game up to the day before for the next series..... from that point it's a coin flip if it's not played.

[coach4christ]

With the best of three series (which I love by the way). You run into the pitching regulations hurting the team who was backed up.

[me3]

The rule is probably good. As it stands, some teams had to stay in a hotel Friday, Sat. and Sunday. Kids missed two full days of school with some facing final exams when they return. I don't think it makes sense to extend the round past a single game on Monday. I bet coaches rethink who they pitch in their first game if there is a bad weather threat. I saw that some schools held their ace for the second game and never got the chance to use him.

[chalmetteowl]

i think the playoffs in baseball need to be regionalized in these rounds due to hotel stays... or have game 1 at the lower seeded team during the week so you only have one or two games on the weekend