Everything about College Baseball totally explained
College baseball is
baseball as played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of
higher education, predominantly in the
United States. Compared to
football and
basketball in the U.S., college competition plays a less significant contribution to cultivating
professional players, as the
minor leagues primarily fulfill that role.
The first known intercollegiate baseball game took place in
Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on
July 1,
1859, between squads representing
Amherst College and
Williams College. Amherst won, 73-32. This game was one of the last played under the "
Massachusetts rules", which prevailed in
New England until the "
New York rules" developed in the
1840s gradually became accepted.
(External Link
) The
Fordham Rose Hill Baseball Club of St. John's College in New York (now
Fordham University) played the first ever nine-man team college baseball game on
November 3, 1859 against (the now defunct) St. Francis Xavier College.
College baseball has grown phenomenally in popularity since the 1980s. Traditionally, it has been played in the early part of the year, with a relatively short schedule and during a time when cold (and/or rainy) weather hinders the ability for games to be played, particularly in the northern and midwestern parts of the U.S. These and other factors have historically led colleges and universities across the nation to effectively consider baseball a minor sport, both in scholarships as well as money and other points of emphasis. During the 1980s, coaches and athletic directors in warm-weather regions of the nation began to recognize the unrealized potential appeal of the sport. They went out and aggressively recruited the sport to potential athletes, as well as made various upgrades to their programs; such as bigger and better stadiums, more money for staff and support salaries, and promotions. As these efforts resulted in better players and overall programs, more television and print media coverage began to emerge. The
ESPN Network greatly increased television coverage of the NCAA playoffs and the
College World Series.
Soon, in many warm-weather regions, college baseball came to be considered a major sport, approaching the level of football and basketball. And even non-warm weather schools started to recognize baseball's potential and began to put considerably more emphasis on it.
Nebraska,
Notre Dame, and
Oregon State are three notable examples of cold (or rainy) weather schools with very successful programs. The first two made the College World Series when warm-weather schools placed major emphasis on baseball as well as had the advantage of playing earlier and more games because of favorable climate advantages. Oregon State won back-to-back national championships in
2006 &
2007. Archrival
Oregon hasn't even had a varsity baseball program since 1981, many credit the Beavers' success as being a primary factor in UO's recent decision to revive baseball in 2009. For 2008 and succeeding seasons, the NCAA has mandated the first ever start date for baseball. This day is exactly thirteen weeks before the selection of the NCAA tournament field, which takes place on Memorial Day. For 2008, this day is February 22. Many feel this date will give non warm-weather schools more parity in college baseball and help continue to make the sport a major one nationally.
As with other intercollegiate sports, most college baseball is played under the auspices of the
NCAA or the
NAIA. The NCAA writes the rules of play, while each sanctioning body supervises season-ending
tournaments. The final rounds of the NCAA tournaments are known as the
College World Series; one is held on each of the three levels of competition sanctioned by the NCAA. The College World Series for Division I takes place in
Omaha in June, following the regular season.
The playoff bracket for Division I consists of 64 teams, with four teams playing at each of 16 regional sites (in a double-elimination format) in late May. The 16 winners advance to the Super Regionals at eight sites, played head-to-head in in a best-of-three series. The eight winners then advance to the College World Series, a double elimination tournament (actually two separate four-team brackets) to determine the two national finalists. The finalists play a best-of-three series to determine the Division I national champion. In 2007, the winner of the CWS was
Oregon State.
EA Sports released
MVP 06 NCAA Baseball, the first college baseball
video game ever released. It includes most Division I schools. A sequel, was also released.
The rules of college baseball are similar to the Official Baseball Rules. Exceptions include the following:
- The bat may be made of wood or of aluminum or a metal or composite material that meets NCAA standards.
- The designated hitter rule is used. In addition, a player may serve as both pitcher and DH at the same time and may remain in one position when removed in the other.
- One or both ends of a doubleheader are sometimes seven innings in length. However, the NCAA has recently tightened the interpretation of what constitutes a regulation game, encouraging schools to play as many nine-inning games as possible.
- A mercy rule may be in use, which terminates play when one team is ahead by 10 or more runs after seven innings (6½ innings if the home team is winning). In games that are scheduled for seven innings the rule takes effect in the fifth. This rule isn't used in NCAA tournament games. Several conferences institute this rule only on Sundays or the final day of a conference series, so that the visiting team can travel on time.
Further Information
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