Hello Fastpitch Folks
There are some sectional semi-final games to be played today as the rain messed things up for all of those teams yesterday. Congratulations to all the teams that advanced to the sectional final with wins yesterday.
I’ve been wondering about next year’s five-division tournament format for fastpitch softball since it was passed by the WIAA. I know where our school will wind up as far as division but I have no clue where the bottom of the division and top of the division is in terms of enrollments and just which schools reside in the smallest Division 2 school and the largest Division 3 school is.
I’ve waited and waited and don’t have the time to go through every WIAA softball school in the state and sort them out by enrollment so I still wait. However, today I called the WIAA office to find out when we will know the answers to those questions at the top and bottom of all five divisions. I got a straight-forward answer from that office in Stevens Point.
The answer is: they don’t know yet because today is the deadline for Coop teams to announce that they are a coop. That means we will probably have to wait another week or two for the answers.
Several coaches have asked me if I had any information and of course I did not have it then but I do now. They were interested in the lists because of scheduling issues for non-conference games.
Some areas of the state will undoubtedly encompass a large geographical area. I’m looking espeicially at the northwest quadrant of the state in what will be Divisions 4 and 5. There are going to be some long trips as there are now in Division 2 up there.
There are some logistical issues with five divisions of fastpitch softball to be played on one diamond over three days. If you are not aware of those issues here are a few. 1) Very little time for pre-game infield workout on the game field if any 2) early morning games – 8:00 am starts 3) inclement weather will really put the people in charge of the schedule on the ” hot seat” so to speak 4) at last year’s state tournament, for the first time ever, there was a 10 PM curfew. No games can start after 10 PM. Our game against Lomira on Friday night last year started just a few minutes before 10 and got over just before midnight. It was originally a 1:15 pm scheduled start. 5) Listed game times hardly ever work at the state tournament.. they do on paper but not in reality. It takes a long time for the ground crew to re-work the infield, paint the lines etc. Games are apt to be behind schedule even after the 8:00 round of games.
So be prepared!
Have a great day and
Keep it Rising!
Bob
