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What is the general interpretation of a P starting a batter on his 29th pitch and walking him on 4 pitches, finishing with 32 pitches? Would he be allowed to pitch the next day? I thought they were allowed to finish the batter and the threshold would be where he started the last batter. After reading it again I think I was wrong.

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A bit off topic here but...I can’t wrap my head around the comment “7th and 8th graders on varsity”.  How does that even work?  Here in Texas, 7th and 8th grade is middle school.  High school is 9th -12th.  Middle school kids do not play high school sports here, at least as far as I am aware.  Am I to understand that a kid could play high school varsity baseball starting in 7th grade?  A 6 year varsity player?  How does all of that even fit on one letterman jacket?😀

I can’t speak for all states. In the state my kids grew up, a large state there are some small, rural 7-12 middle/high schools. If all the grades were at the same address and classified as a 1A (smallest classification) school 7th graders could play varsity. With these rural schools fielding a team is a numbers issue. The kids in these schools get an exemption to play six years of varsity.

Last edited by RJM
@22and25 posted:

A bit off topic here but...I can’t wrap my head around the comment “7th and 8th graders on varsity”.  How does that even work?  Here in Texas, 7th and 8th grade is middle school.  High school is 9th -12th.  Middle school kids do not play high school sports here, at least as far as I am aware.  Am I to understand that a kid could play high school varsity baseball starting in 7th grade?  A 6 year varsity player?  How does all of that even fit on one letterman jacket?😀

I should probably add that I coach at a small rural (a little over 600 kids) in SC.  The South Carolina High School League runs all school related sports from 7-12 grades, the district I work in does not do middle school sports (some districts in the state do) so everything is run through our high school program.

Our program is not in great shape if I am being honest and in my opinion the 4 best baseball players in our schools are all in 8th grade.  Two of these kids are going to play varsity for us this year (and I'm not sure the other two shouldn't be playing varsity as well). and will start at SS and 2nd if they aren't on the mound.  Over the years we have had several kids play at the varsity level in middle school, but everyone of those kids at the very least had the option to go play college ball after high school (and the two this year will likely have that chance when their time comes). 

I also teacher 7th grade at one of our feeder schools and one of my students played varsity basketball this year,  and at least from the one game that I saw she should have been starting.  Back when I was in school we had a girl who started on the varsity basketball team for 6 years, but then again she went on to play at UCONN so she was really really good.

There are a lot of states that have that rule.  The main ingredient is that they schools have to be at the same location and some connection in most states.  I know a young man who played 7 years of varsity because he changed schools between his 7th and 8th grade year and was held back.  He went on to play college ball and got drafted.  There are a lot of middle school guys who could easily play varsity at smaller schools and even some larger schools.   The place most of them struggle is at the plate but do great in the field.

I understand the ability portion of it, I was just struggling with the mechanics of it all.  My 2025 8th grader played in a 14u event this weekend and faced harder throwers than half of the pitchers on my 2022’s 6A HS team.  This event had several top national teams from CA, TX,SC, FL, IL, etc....definitely a lot of talent that could play varsity at a lot of big high schools.

Bless you and all other middle school teachers, Gamecock. A vocation not for the faint of heart.

I picked the best time ever to start teaching (this is my first year).  I come home every day wondering if I made the right decision, spring break and summer can not come fast enough.

@PitchingFan posted:

There are a lot of states that have that rule.  The main ingredient is that they schools have to be at the same location and some connection in most states.  I know a young man who played 7 years of varsity because he changed schools between his 7th and 8th grade year and was held back.  He went on to play college ball and got drafted.  There are a lot of middle school guys who could easily play varsity at smaller schools and even some larger schools.   The place most of them struggle is at the plate but do great in the field.

We typically have buses that take athletes from our feeder schools to the high school (one is about 5 minutes away the other is maybe 10), we don't this year so middle school kids are left to having to have parents pick them up and bring them to practice.  It sucks but it is what it is right now.  Our district does not allow us to give students rides so even if I had kids at my school that played baseball (I don't) they would have to have a ride from someone else to practice even though I am already going.  When that really sucks is when I am stuck waiting around after practice for the rides of kids who literally live down the street from me.

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