Baseball Manual

Baseball Operating Procedures

I. Official Baseball Game Procedures

A. Rule Book: Official MLB Rule book with NAIA Baseball Coaches Association modifications.

1. NAIA ejection policy is enforced at all times

B. Official Conference Game Ball: Diamond D-1

C. Pre-Game Schedule:

1. Each team will be provided a minimum of 30 minutes for batting practice, either on the field or in a cage area.

2. Each team will have a maximum of 10 minutes for on field in and out warm-up.

-The pre-game timeline is determined by the home team, and shall be provided to the visiting team a minimum 1 day prior to game.

D. Umpires shall be provided by the Home team, from a local umpire association. A minimum of 2 umpires for RRAC games.

II. RRAC Regular Season Games

A. All teams will play each other home or on the road, a three game series according to a schedule made by the conference. The games will be scheduled typically as a single game Friday and a doubleheader Saturday; or a doubleheader Saturday and a single game Sunday; or as otherwise agreed on by the two teams. Single games are to be nine innings and double headers are to consist of a seven inning game and followed by a nine inning game. If the first game goes over seven innings it automatically becomes a nine inning game, making the second game automatically a seven inning game.

B. RRAC series are to take place during a normal series window: Thursday to Monday is the official series window. Games are not to be moved earlier or later in the week to gain a competitive advantage. Games that are unable to be played of a given weekend are then cancelled and cannot be made up.

C. If rain is predicted on the scheduled playing date, every effort will be made between the coaches to move the games up or back in the normal series window.

 

D. Three games are allowed to be played on the same day if both Coaches agree to it. Format will be three seven inning games.

III. Inclement Weather / Darkness Protocol

A. At least five innings are completed and one team is ahead it is a completed game. Four and half innings if home team is ahead.

B. At least five innings are completed but inning is in progress, score will revert back to the last completed inning, unless home team is ahead (see III-A) - completed game. If after reverting back and score is tied - suspended game.

C. Game has not progressed to five innings - suspended game. If teams do not meet again, game is cancelled.

D. Suspended game interpretation: Game will be resumed at exact point of suspension. Line-ups and batting orders will remain the same. Game will be completed on next day of competition, if on last day see III-C.

E. If day 1 of a weekend series has been played, and day two is unplayable the series is complete, the visiting team shall return home, and the un-played game(s) will be cancelled.

IV. RRAC Regular Season Standings

A. Regular season standings will be determined by winning percentage in all RRAC Games.

V. RRAC Post Season Conference Tournament

A. The top Six (6) teams from the regular season standings will compete in the RRAC Conference Tournament (IV-A).

B. Seeding will be determined by the Regular Season Standings (IV-A)

C. In the event of a tie teams will be seeded according to:

1. Record in head to head competition

2. Record vs. #1 seed, if same move to #2 seed, if same move to #3 seed.

3. Record vs. common opponents

4. Coin flip

D. Tournament will fallow NAIA standard 6 team double elimination format

E. RRAC tournament inclement weather protocol

1. If the tournament cannot be played at all tournament winner will be seed #1, runner-up will be seed #2.

2. If day one is started but cannot be completed by the tournament deadline (day 5), then rule V-E.2 applies. Day one includes games 1,2,3.

3. If day one can be completed, then the tournament winner will be the highest seeded team that is undefeated and the runner up will be the highest seeded team remaining. (Games 1,2,3)

4. If day two is completed, then the winner for the tournament will be the highest seeded team that is undefeated and the runner-up will be the highest seeded team remaining. (Games 4,5,6)

5. If day three is completed, then the winner for the tournament will be the highest seeded team that is undefeated and the runner-up will be the highest seeded team remaining. (Games 7,8,9)

6. If five teams remain after game 6 and three teams after game nine, then the two highest seeded teams still in the tournament will be the winners and advance to the NAIA National Tournament. With the highest seeded team being crowned tournament champions.

7. If only one day is available to play, the #1 seed and the #2 seed play one nine-inning game to decide the winner and both teams advance to the national tournament.

8. If the tournament has to be played on limited days, then the tournament will become a single elimination tournament with the winner of game 1 receiving a bye in the 2nd day when the winner of games 2 and 3 play. The winner of games 2 and 3 will play the winner of game 1 for the tournament crown and the loser of that game will then advance with the winner to the national tournament.

Note: Ever effort will be made to play the games. The tournament director should work with the host school to secure an alternate site if the host field becomes unable to play. The alternate site should be within a reasonable driving distance. Reasonable driving distance is defined as no more than 120 miles or 2 hours. Each team must be able to keep their same lodging.

VI. Site of the RRAC Tournament

A. The site of the RRAC Tourney will be determined by a bid process, bids due by Sept. 15 annually, and then a vote by the coaches as to provide a recommendation to the Athletic Directors to which they will give the final go ahead at their September meetings.

B. Criteria for hosting a RRAC Tournament include the following criteria. In order to host the:

1. Host must have lights.

2. Host must have a tarp.

3. Host must have adequate seating and restroom facilities

4. Host must have adequate pre-game area for batting practice.

5. Host must pay for cost of umpires (motels, per diem, etc.).

6. Host is recommended to provide a banquet or BBQ for qualifying teams.

7. Host must provide travel expenses, hotel and meals for neutral tournament director.

C. 2011 Site: TBA Dates: April 30 - May 4

VI. All Conference Selections

A. Coaches will submit names of players from their teams to the Chair of the Baseball Conference by the Tuesday before the conference tournament in the form provided by the conference.

B. The Chair will organize a ballot, to then be voted upon at the RRAC Coaches meeting prior to the start of the RRAC Tournament. A Coach must be present for their player to be voted on.

C. Players will be chosen by position as stated by the NAIA Baseball Policy Manual

D. Awards include: All Conference 1st Team, All Conference 2nd Team, Conference MVP, Conference MVP Pitcher, and Gold glove Team.

E. RRAC Coach of the Year award will be a vote between the final two teams in the RRAC Tournament conducted by the RRAC Coaches. An email ballot will be sent out by the Conference Chair, each coach will be given 24 hours to respond.

VII. Ratings and Rankings

A. RRAC National Rater: Mike Jeffcoat - Texas Wesleyan

B. RRAC Conference Rating System:

1. Each Head Coach will submit his 11 team ranking to conf. national rater by 10 pm Sunday evening. No submission - no vote.

2. Rankings will be compiled on a point system, 11 points for 1st place vote, 10 for second, and so on.

3. Votes will be compiled by national rater and in-turn submitted to the NAIA. Teams submitted to the NAIA are those the national rater feels are deserving of National Ranking.

C. RRAC Oversight Committee:

Rocke Musgraves, LSU-Shreveport

Jeremy Kennedy, Northwood University

Bryan Aughney, UT-Brownsville

For further information on specific items see the NAIA Coaches Manual:

http://naia.cstv.com/member-services/championships/Coaches_Corner/baseball/BaseballCC.htm