Because coaches will play all season riding one arm instead of developing a complete staff.

If they knew for certain they were going to have to win two games in consecutive days to advance through the playoffs, it would require the development of at least one or two more pitchers throughout the season to prepare.

Even just a one game series, the coach should be using his stud less in the days approaching so that his arm would be fresh

Yes and no.

The top level teams in 5A and 6A are significantly better than most travel teams.

Mainly because they consist of the same players that make up the very best of those travel teams.

My HS coach was notorious for being pro-1-game series. So ****ing stupid.

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It is contrary to how the game is played the rest of the high school season

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It's really not.

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If you are a coach that advocates for it you are cheating your team out of playoff games

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If it gives your team the best chance to advance and play more playoff game(s) further into the playoffs, not going for 1 game is arguably detrimental to giving the team the best chance to have the playoff experience it typically wants.

"I didn't give you the best chance to play a another game in the next round but dang it I guaranteed you had the chance to lose again in this round!"

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The practice promotes the overuse and subsequent injury of young pitchers

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That's a gigantic stretch. Do you have an anecdote or something that upset you?

And 3 games in a weekend with advancement on the line...certainly might push a coach to throw their top guy(s) too much.


I know many coaches who have had to make this choice many times. It turns out every one I know seems very thoughtful about it and weighs a lot of considerations.

So your coach chose one game, huh. Just kidding.

Simply put, I believe baseball at all levels is played in series for a reason. Especially in the high school game. Heck, you even play each district opponent 2 and sometimes 3 times before you determine a district champ.

The single game playoff is the equivalent of playing a football game only until halftime.

In my opinion (and experience) the single game option is a crutch for football coaches that coach baseball. Coaches that lack the ability or willingness to develop more pitchers.

LSCSN said:

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must be nice to watch only 5A and 6A baseball. good luck finding a pitching staff at the smaller schools. nothing says playoff baseball like a 16-12 game.

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That is a fair point.

I'll admit I'm very spoiled. I have probably seen over half of the top 25 5A and 6A teams play this year.

96ags said:

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I want to get my annual rant in about the lunacy that is single game playoffs in high school baseball.

• There is no justification for a single game outside of weather cancelling a series
• The practice promotes the overuse and subsequent injury of young pitchers
• It is contrary to how the game is played at every other level
• It is contrary to how the game is played the rest of the high school season
• If you are a coach that advocates for it you are cheating your team out of playoff games
• Coin flips are dumb
• If you are a coach that advocates for it, you are *****
• UIL can and should fix this
• Did I mention that a coach that advocates for a one game is a *****

There, I feel better.

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So you are saying that a coach who has one stud pitcher going against a team with multiple stud pitchers is a ***** for wanting to give his team the best chance to advance to the next round?

That is a pretty weak take.

I agree that a series is better (especially as a high school baseball umpire) but doing what is best for your team doesn't make you a *****.

Meant to edit my original post not reply.

WES2006AG said:

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96ags said:

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I want to get my annual rant in about the lunacy that is single game playoffs in high school baseball.

• There is no justification for a single game outside of weather cancelling a series
• The practice promotes the overuse and subsequent injury of young pitchers
• It is contrary to how the game is played at every other level
• It is contrary to how the game is played the rest of the high school season
• If you are a coach that advocates for it you are cheating your team out of playoff games
• Coin flips are dumb
• If you are a coach that advocates for it, you are *****
• UIL can and should fix this
• Did I mention that a coach that advocates for a one game is a *****

There, I feel better.

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So you are saying that a coach who has one stud pitcher going against a team with multiple stud pitchers is a ***** for wanting to give his team the best chance to advance to the next round?

That is a pretty weak take.

I agree that a series is better (especially as a high school baseball umpire) but doing what is best for your team doesn't make you a *****.

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Yep, that's what I'm saying. But I believe that a single game should never be considered period. Wish the vote would have gone through this summer to get rid of it all together.

If the goal is to determine the better TEAM, then a series is the only way. One good pitcher does not a team make.

And yeah, more games gives a better indication of who is the better team.

But the coach's job isn't to make sure the true, honest better team advances.

I'm going to agree with most of the premise here - one game playoff games likely do not advance the best overall team. My son's team is about to start the playoffs and looking ahead there are at least two teams that we HAVE to have a 3 game series against. One team has a 96-98 mph righty and the other has a 92 mph lefty.

Those teams would love a one game playoff, of course. They could win a 1-0 game just due to the pitcher. But, they may not have much behind #1 pitcher.

Our team doesn't have a stud. We have 2 really good pitchers, 2 solid pitchers and 1-2 decent pitchers. And we hit the ball well. But we haven't faced 90+. It's likely we lose game 1, but we have a solid chance to win games 2 & 3.

Alternatively, there's a chance we will face the defending state champs at some point and they returned 7 starters from last year. I'd be all for a one game playoff versus them because we might get lucky in a one game. Lucky being the key word. They are the better team, but baseball is a game where on the right day, any dog has a chance.

Major League Baseball has a one game playoff every year, and sometimes more. So yea, you're wrong on that front as well.

Wabs said:

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At least in my area - summer baseball (for high schoolers)>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>regular high school baseball.

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Maybe, but so what? High-schoolers play for something.

96ags said:

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It is contrary to how the game is played the rest of the high school season

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The State Tournament in Austin/Round Rock is single elimination. I don't like the fact that teams play 3-game series until the last, most important weekend, but it would be tough to host 4 teams and expect to play 2 3-game series at one site.

Beau Bevers said:

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96ags said:

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It is contrary to how the game is played the rest of the high school season

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The State Tournament in Austin/Round Rock is single elimination. I don't like the fact that teams play 3-game series until the last, most important weekend, but it would be tough to host 4 teams and expect to play 2 3-game series at one site.

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While I don't like the way the state tournament is set up, once you get to Round Rock you have to win two games to be crowned champion.......Just like you have to win two games to win bi-district, area, etc. in a 3 game playoff.

It would be incredibly easy to do a 3 game series. It might just not be done all at Dell Diamond.

Eventually that will change. I remember a day when 3-game series weren't a thing at all.

96ags said:

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Beau Bevers said:

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96ags said:

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It is contrary to how the game is played the rest of the high school season

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The State Tournament in Austin/Round Rock is single elimination. I don't like the fact that teams play 3-game series until the last, most important weekend, but it would be tough to host 4 teams and expect to play 2 3-game series at one site.

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While I don't like the way the state tournament is set up, once you get to Round Rock you have to win two games to be crowned champion.......Just like you have to win two games to win bi-district, area, etc. in a 3 game playoff.

It would be incredibly easy to do a 3 game series. It might just not be done all at Dell Diamond.

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Yes, they still have to win 2 games, but "one-and-done" isn't conducive to crowning the best team.

And yes, I said it would be hard to host 2 3-games series consecutively at Dell, but I don't sense a willingness from the UIL to move the tournament out of Greater Austin. I wish they would, though.

You mean 12 three-game series right?

Beau Bevers said:

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96ags said:

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Beau Bevers said:

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96ags said:

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It is contrary to how the game is played the rest of the high school season

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The State Tournament in Austin/Round Rock is single elimination. I don't like the fact that teams play 3-game series until the last, most important weekend, but it would be tough to host 4 teams and expect to play 2 3-game series at one site.

---

While I don't like the way the state tournament is set up, once you get to Round Rock you have to win two games to be crowned champion.......Just like you have to win two games to win bi-district, area, etc. in a 3 game playoff.

It would be incredibly easy to do a 3 game series. It might just not be done all at Dell Diamond.

---

Yes, they still have to win 2 games, but "one-and-done" isn't conducive to crowning the best team.

And yes, I said it would be hard to host 2 3-games series consecutively at Dell, but I don't sense a willingness from the UIL to move the tournament out of Greater Austin. I wish they would, though.

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Yeah, that brings up a whole other discussion with the UIL and Austin.

WES2006AG said:

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You mean 12 three-game series right?

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Not every class plays their State Tournament at Dell. Disch-Falk is also used. Nelson Field used to host some games, too, but I don't know what the set up is nowadays.

96ags said:

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Beau Bevers said:

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96ags said:

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Beau Bevers said:

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96ags said:

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It is contrary to how the game is played the rest of the high school season

---

The State Tournament in Austin/Round Rock is single elimination. I don't like the fact that teams play 3-game series until the last, most important weekend, but it would be tough to host 4 teams and expect to play 2 3-game series at one site.

---

While I don't like the way the state tournament is set up, once you get to Round Rock you have to win two games to be crowned champion.......Just like you have to win two games to win bi-district, area, etc. in a 3 game playoff.

It would be incredibly easy to do a 3 game series. It might just not be done all at Dell Diamond.

---

Yes, they still have to win 2 games, but "one-and-done" isn't conducive to crowning the best team.

And yes, I said it would be hard to host 2 3-games series consecutively at Dell, but I don't sense a willingness from the UIL to move the tournament out of Greater Austin. I wish they would, though.

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Yeah, that brings up a whole other discussion with the UIL and Austin.

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No doubt. And that discussion needs to be had. If only there was another SXSW to drive out baseball like it did the hoops tourney.

Beau Bevers said:

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WES2006AG said:

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You mean 12 three-game series right?

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Not every class plays their State Tournament at Dell. Disch-Falk is also used. Nelson Field used to host some games, too, but I don't know what the set up is nowadays.

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They do use both but a total of 18 series (semis and finals) all taking place on a few fields seems undoable, and that is before you add in any weather.

WES2006AG said:

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Beau Bevers said:

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WES2006AG said:

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You mean 12 three-game series right?

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Not every class plays their State Tournament at Dell. Disch-Falk is also used. Nelson Field used to host some games, too, but I don't know what the set up is nowadays.

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They do use both but a total of 18 series (semis and finals) all taking place on a few fields seems undoable, and that is before you add in any weather.

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Yep. It just makes it too hard for 1-2 facilities to host that many games in that short amount of time. I wish they could split up the classes and spread them around the various college/MiLB facilities around the state. There are so many more excellent facilities in Texas that have been built over the last 10-15 years.

It will be interesting to see if the new Perfect Game Complex in Hutto will factor into the state tournaments in the future.

24 turf fields could host a ton of games.

wow, youth sports has become a really big business.

96ags said:

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It will be interesting to see if the new Perfect Game Complex in Hutto will factor into the state tournaments in the future.

24 turf fields could host a ton of games.

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I wonder if PG has already been in talks with UIL. That would turn the State Tournament into a pretty sweet high school baseball festival.

Beau Bevers said:

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96ags said:

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It is contrary to how the game is played the rest of the high school season

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The State Tournament in Austin/Round Rock is single elimination. I don't like the fact that teams play 3-game series until the last, most important weekend, but it would be tough to host 4 teams and expect to play 2 3-game series at one site.

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To me, this is the best argument AGAINST playoff series. That and the fact that it stretches the playoffs out so long since each round can only occur on weekends.

I don't recall playoff series when I was in HS, but we never made the playoffs so I wasn't personally involved. I'm not even sure we ever finished top half of district.

Only on weekends? what do you mean?