WPIAL
The WPIAL has adopted a new scheduling model for baseball that will prevent a team from pitching its ace against the same opponent twice in the season. Rather than spreading a home-and-away series at different points in the season, the games will be played back-to-back on consecutive days.
The WPIAL also released the new baseball and softball alignments to take effect next year.
Indiana’s baseball team will play in Class 4A Section 1, with Burrell, Freeport, Highlands, Knoch, and North Catholic.
Indiana softball will be in 5A Section 1, with Armstrong, Franklin Regional, Kiski Area, Penn Hills, Plum, Woodland Hills.
Ligonier Valley and Derry find themselves in the same section in baseball. They’ll both be in Class 3A Section 1, with Deer Lakes, East Allegheny, Mount Pleasant, and Valley.
Derry softball will be in Class 3A Section 1 with Deer Lakes, East Allegheny, North Catholic, Shady Side Academy, and Valley.
Ligonier Valley’s softball team will play in Class 2A Section 2 with Apollo-Ridge, Brentwood, Jeannette, Serra Catholic, Seton LaSalle, and Steel Valley.
The Apollo Ridge baseball team will play in Class 2A Section 3 with Jeanette, Northgate, Serra Catholic, Shady Side Academy, and Sto-Rox.
PIAA
The PIAA will hold an online meeting tomorrow to discuss starting up the high school sports season this fall, perhaps by going county-to-county.
Re-opening sports would depend on a county being transitioned to “green” status by the governor, and it would also be dependent on further definition of what “green” means.
The Tribune Review quotes PIAA Executive Director Bob Lombardi as “guessing” offseason activities beginning in late June or early July, and saying he is optimistic that sports will start on time in the fall.
The online meeting tomorrow is also expected to include discussion on competitive balance and fairness.
