New pitch counts come into play
BY ALYSSA MEIER
Editor
Coaches and players are facing an extra challenge this year as they adjust to new pitch count rules in effect for high school baseball.
In an effort to curb injuries, the North Dakota High School Activities Association approved new regulations for this year’s baseball season. The rules, which went into effect March 31, limit the number of pitches a player can pitch during a single game.
The rules are based on how many days of rest a pitcher has between games. With four days of rest, up to 120 pitches are allowed during a game. Three days of rest means a pitcher is limited to 75 pitches, and only having two days of rest bring the maximum allowed down to 60. If a pitcher only has one day of rest between games, he will be able to pitch up to 45 times in a game. When there is a game two days in a row and therefore no rest day in between, a pitcher is limited to a maximum of 30 pitches.
The guidelines do clarify that if a pitcher hits his maximum during an at-bat; the pitcher can finish that batter. But with the Cardinals scheduled to have several games only a day or two apart, the rules could complicate things.
