Pitch counts to change baseball strategy

A major change to high school baseball this season is the introduction of pitch counts. The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Board of Directors approved a recommendation at its November meeting, which would place a daily limit on pitching based on year in school.

The recommendation came to the Board from the Baseball Advisory Committee, which voted unanimously to use the Pitch Smart requirements that were suggested by USA Baseball and MLB. Instead of using age groups they grouped them by grade. The MSHSAA committee decided to be more restrictive on the Middle School group and limited their maximum number of pitches.

According to Eagles baseball coach Andy Jahnsen, the new rules will create a bit of a bureaucracy and will hamper smaller schools.

“We will have to track the pitch counts – and our opponents as well,” Jahnsen said. “Then you have got to make sure that everyone agrees on the pitch counts.”

Jahnsen explained that the pitch counts would be tracked by a team assistant coach or student manager on an tablet or laptop computer as a part of the score keeping job.

“This will also create problems for smaller schools without a lot of kids who can pitch,” Jahnsen said. “You will see a lot of four-hour ballgames with a lot of walks as some kids can’t get the ball over the plate.”

Under the new rules, seniors and juniors are restricted to a daily maximum of 105 pitches while sophomores and freshmen are allowed a maximum of 95 pitches daily. Pitchers can finish pitching to a batter if they reach the maximum number during an at-bat. Pitchers can pitch two days in a row as long as they don’t exceed 30 pitches per day, but they cannot throw three consecutive days.

If a pitcher throws 76 or more pitches in a day, he will be required to take four days of rest, between 61 and 75 pitches requires three days rest, between 46 and 60 pitches means two days rest and between 31 and 45 pitches requires one day of rest before returning to the mound. The pitch counts apply to regular and post-season games.

The new rules are in response to the increase in the number of arm injuries sustained by young pitchers in recent years. Both teams will record pitch counts during the game and coaches should verify the numbers after each half inning. Both teams will sign the pitch count forms at the conclusion of the game and must submit the information to the MSHSAA website within 24 hours or face a $25 fine.

Jahnsen said he did not think the pitch count rules would adversely affect the Eagles this season.

“We have a number of kids who can get out there on the mound and put the ball over the plate and be competitive,” Jahnsen said. “It won’t make me nervous at all to pitch a number of our guys in any given week.”

• The Eagles were rained out of their first two ballgames this week – their opener against Fatima on Monday and Tuesday’s game at Centralia. The Eagles travel to Georgia on Wednesday for four games.