High school baseball, softball season in the summer? Area coaches not feeling it
After watching a season full of potential and promise fail to materialize last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Belleville West Maroons, like the rest of the baseball teams in the state, will return to the playing field in May for the 2021 season.
But it won’t be a full season. Anything but.
Moved to the summer season as part of the Illinois High School Association’s revamped 2020-21 Return to Activities guidelines, baseball and softball teams will have their chance to play May 3-June 26 with games scheduled to begin the week of May 17.
Under the Return to Activities guidelines for baseball and softball, teams will be permitted to play two games per week which could rise to three games if one of those dates is a doubleheader. In simple math, three games per week in a six-week season equals a maximum of an 18-game season and that doesn’t take into account any games canceled because of weather.
By contrast, during the 2019 season, every team in both the Southwestern and Mississippi Valley conferences except one, played more than 30 games and many played in over 35 games.
Now that the reality has set in the upcoming season will be cut in half after teams missed the entire ‘20 campaign, many coaches are less than pleased.
“I think that everybody is glad that we’ve all got the chance to put a season together. I think we’re all grateful for that,” West coach Todd Baltz said. “But when you start to look at it, I think a lot of the summer teams had to sacrifice a lot more than some of the other teams.
“Without going into a lot of the detail, we’re going to play 18 games and that’s only with some doubleheaders. We’re having our schedule cut in half and that’s frustrating for everyone. It’s frustrating for the kids. To lose the entire season last year and now to have a half a season ... in many cases, the kids are losing over 50 games the past two years. That’s a lot of baseball games lost.”
Softball isn’t immune to the changes either. In addition to losing half its games, softball and baseball players may also have to make a choice between representing their schools for a half a season or competing with their summer select or traveling teams.
High school or select?
With the changes in moving both baseball and softball from spring to summer, the high school season conflicts with summer programs.
“I definitely think kids may have to make a choice, which will be very hard,” Belleville East softball coach Natalie Peters said. “I have seen a few of the select programs come out with statements that they will move their seasons back a few weeks to support high school athletics and I was very happy to see that. Most student athletes have deep pride in playing for their school teams.
“However, softball recruiting/scholarship offers for the elite athletes definitely take place in the select circuit over the summer. There may be some hard choices for some athletes and it’s difficult to see them put in that position. We will do our best as a staff to help them in any way possible.
“It looks like we will lose over half of our season if the rules stay as they are now, which means the 2021 seniors will have missed 75% of their final two years of play. My hope is if things have improved in May they will lift the three-game-per-week restriction and let us play the four-five games per week we are used to in order to get more games. The IHSA has said this is a fluid situation and they will continue to evaluate it throughout the year.”
O’Fallon coach offers thoughts on club/select dichotomy
O’Fallon baseball coach Joe Bauer thinks some club/select teams will work their schedules around so players can play with their high school teams. That being said Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report host major tournaments in June, which are crucial tools in the college recruiting of high school players.
Then, regarding the financial commitment of families for their child to play select baseball/softball, if the choice must be made, high schools may suffer.
“Well-intentioned or not, the most recent decision by the IHSA will most likely have major negative affects on high school baseball,” Bauer said. “By moving the season back, the IHSA will force families to choose between high school baseball and their summer/select clubs. Having a practice start date of May 3 and only allowing games between May 17-June 26 (18 games max) will likely force families to choose select ball.
“Those clubs will also be able to play in March and April prior to high schools even being able to practice. The negatives greatly outweigh any potential positives with this IHSA calendar. Personally it could have a devastating impact on O’Fallon as the vast majority of our kids play with various clubs outside of the high school season and they are getting ready to start payments on their offseason training/club programs.
Lancers coach hoping for the best
While Bauer said he feels summer high school baseball won’t work well for his program, Belleville East coach Ryan Wiggs is hoping for the best and grateful the IHSA has given high school athletes a chance to compete and that some select programs have offered to do what they can to help.
“I was happy that the IHSA decided to allow all sports to play. All kids, regardless of the sport they play, should get a chance to play this year,” Wiggs said. “Yes, our season was shortened a bit and that will be disappointing to our players, coaches, and parents. But, at the end of the day, we will still have a season. Hopefully, that is the case for all high school athletes. Our schedule will be shortened, but I’m confident our athletic department and administration will schedule as many games as we possibly can for 2021.
“I applaud all the summer programs who are publicly stating that they will wait until the high school season is over before they begin to play summer baseball. I’ve seen several programs do that. I think that is great because then you don’t have to put a teenager in a position where they have to choose one or the other.”
Mater Dei, Mascoutah coaches weigh in
Michael Palm, Mater Dei, softball
“My understanding is possibly 15-18 games max and under current rules kids wouldn’t be able to participate with their summer programs on the weekends. Kids will choose and high end players will play with the organizations that will get them recruited. High school ball will be a game of attrition. It’s true that all kids will be given the chance. School ball will be between teams with the best role players.”
Don Eddy, Mascoutah, baseball
“I am happy the IHSA created a schedule where all sports will hopefully have the opportunity to play throughout the 2020-2021 school year. I don’t want anyone to have to miss an entire season like spring sports had to do last school year. I think what most baseball/softball coaches are frustrated with is that the baseball/softball season is only scheduled to last approximately two months, while winter sports are approximately three months and fall sports (which will take place in the spring) are approximately 2.5 months. I think the other frustration that baseball/softball coaches have is that with the guidelines the IHSA released, baseball/softball are only allowed to play two dates and a total of three games a week. The baseball/softball season is currently scheduled to allow only six weeks of games so the most games any baseball/softball team would be able to play is 18 games.’’
