The NCAA News - News & Features

II baseball seeks stadium upgrades for 1997 championship

At its July 9-12 meeting in Newport, Rhode Island, the committee discussed specific requests it has made to the city of Montgomery, Alabama, regarding adding padding to the walls at Paterson Field, site of the Division II finals. The city has agreed to pad the walls behind home plate before the 1997 championship, and intends to develop a timetable soon to add padding to the outfield wall.

The committee also recommended that the batting cages be replaced for the 1997 championship.

The committee also voted to recommend to the NCAA Executive Committee that the following selection criteria be used (not in preferential order) in addition to criteria in NCAA Bylaw 31.3.3 during selection of at-large teams: head-to-head competition; results against common opponents; team balance (e.g., hitting, pitching, defense); results against teams already selected or under consideration; and conference standings, if applicable.

The committee also voted to place teams advancing to the championship finals in the bracket and assign game times for first-round competition.

By waiting until the completion of regionals to assign bracket pairings and game times, the host will have an opportunity to promote a feature game. The change also will provide teams with equal days of rest. The committee believes the action could improve revenue potential and enhance the possibility of increased cable television coverage.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Division II Baseball Committee
July 9-12/Newport, Rhode Island

* Voted to propose to the NCAA Executive Committee that all games played between four-year, degree-granting institutions in the traditional season must count for purposes of won-lost record and team/
individual statistics in order for a team to be selected to participate in the championship.

* Voted to seek Executive Committee approval to move the South Atlantic Conference from the South Central region to the South region. The committee agreed that it will make further adjustments as needed with an influx of new members from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

* Voted to conduct the South regional at a neutral site in 1997.

* Reviewed the results of a spectator survey that was conducted to analyze the demographics of fans who attended the 1996

championship finals in Montgomery, Alabama.

* Requested that the NCAA staff pursue additional opportunities with ESPN2 for televising the championship final and other rounds of competition.

* Per Rule 5-2-e in the 1996 NCAA Baseball Rules, agreed not to allow use during the Division II championship of electronic equipment for the purpose of transmitting information between coaches, players, scouts or other team personnel.

* Voted to conduct a coaches' clinic on the Thursday evening before the championship finals begin. The committee also voted to discount game tickets for all coaches who attend the clinic.

* Agreed that the Power Rating Index (PRI) will be used only as an additional tool by regional advisory committees to assess a team's strength of schedule.