The Class 4A and 3A baseball state tournaments will return to Cheney Stadium in 2011, making Pierce County home to 13 high school state tournaments or meets.
Don’t get too attached to them, though. The tournaments are expected to return to Safeco Field in 2012, said Mike Colbrese, executive director of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.
A scheduling conflict at Safeco Field forced the WIAA to seek out another site for the upcoming season. Cheney Stadium was the site for 4A and 3A baseball state semifinals and finals from 2000-02 and 2005 before they moved to Seattle.
“We like Cheney Stadium,” Colbrese said, “but rain is always a factor.”
The WIAA executive board made the decision at its July meeting earlier this week. The board also made more changes related to the new format of the state basketball tournaments. District tournaments must be completed by the Tuesday prior to the state tournament and each first-round state tournament site will have two No. 1-seeded teams and two No. 2-seeded teams. The first-round sites will be determined in the fall, Colbrese said.
How the teams will be placed on the bracket is also up for debate. Some are in favor of placing teams in predetermined spots, as is done in football, baseball, soccer and some other sports. Others propose using a blind draw, similar to the process that has been used in the past, Colbrese said.
Colbrese said the board is also looking at ways to reconfigure the state volleyball tournaments in an effort to save money.
The events lost more than $20,000 last year. No changes will be made until after the 2010 tournaments.
Doug Pacey: 253-597-8271 doug.pacey@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/preps
