Prep baseball state tournament: Coaches weigh in on four classes in baseball, softball

The WVSSAC announced the change in December.

Reaction was mixed among coaches, administrators and fans. Questions remain in the final week of the last athletic year before the changes are implemented.

George Washington baseball coach Mike Davis hasn’t decided yet what he thinks of the move.

“It’s a little early to tell,� Davis said following GW’s 17-0 state tournament semifinal victory over Martinsburg on Thursday. “This makes this Class AAA title pretty important since it’ll be the last one in this three-class format. Then you go four classes with only 20-some teams in each class. It bumps it down a little bit.

“You have conferences in other states that’ll have as many teams as we do in our whole classification in the whole state.�

GW will go to Class AAAA next year, as will Hurricane.

“Going forward, how much movement will continue to happen?� Hurricane softball coach Meghan Stevens said.

“I’m curious to see how enrollment continues to play out in our state and how that will continue to impact sports and classes.

“I think the plan for the state tournament they have in place makes sense from a softball standpoint. We already have seen how it works with basketball. So, from my standpoint, I’m just excited to see it in action.�

Some coaches don’t agree with the move.

“I’m not for it,� Capital baseball coach Steven Lewis said. “I just don’t think this state isn’t big enough for four classes. I don’t agree with the formula that was calculated to make the classes, and some sectionals/regionals don’t make sense to me. It makes an unfair advantage for some schools.�

Buffalo softball coach Bill Rasnake echoes Lewis’ concerns.

“I’m against baseball and softball going to four classes,� Rasnake said.

“Here at Buffalo High School, we are a small school that the enrollment has not [gone] up. They are taking in account the Toyota plant and the proximity to the county seat. It still has not brought any more kids in. It should solely go on enrollment.�

Hurricane softball has won six Class AAA softball state titles, all since 2013.

Stevens is interested to see how everything plays out with this new system implemented in her sport.

“I see both sides,� Stevens said. “I know some schools have felt it’s a very unfair advantage to go up against bigger schools with more resources. I also look at some of the scores in the past state tournaments and wonder if more teams and classes are the perfect answer.

“I am eager to see how seeding teams in regions for basketball works and to see if that will also eventually carry over to all sports.

“Overall, I am OK with the move. For the larger schools, nothing really changes for us. The MSAC stays intact, and for the most part, our regions didn’t change drastically.�

Lewis, like other coaches, still believes there are unanswered questions.

“With this move happening and GoMart Ballpark being turf, why aren’t there more teams in the state tournament for each class?� Lewis said. “We can easily have eight in it per class. It sucks for teams like Cabell Midland, Hurricane and Spring Valley, because they only send one [team per sectional] every year.�

Rasnake also spoke strongly against the transfer rule that was implemented during the 2023 West Virginia legislative session.

“I lost six seniors on this year’s team and will barely have enough to play next year,� Rasnake said. “The transfer rule has taken away almost all of the football players, and we may never win a game in football again, especially moving up in class.

“You [saw] the scores in football last year when the transfer thing started. It’s only going to get worse.�