UMAC Baseball Sport Guidelines Last Updated: August 9, 2016 I. Regular Season Schedule – Conference Champion A. The conference champion shall be decided on a percentage basis based upon the highest winning percentage in conference contests. 1. The Commissioner and the Sports Liaison have the authority to mediate and decide a time and location for conference contests that must be played, if the outcome of such contests will affect the qualification of a team(s) or the seeding of a team(s) for the UMAC post‐season tournament. B. All conference games shall consist of 9‐inning games. 1. Weekday and weekend game times will be 1:30 p.m. for doubleheaders. C. Make‐up games will be played to the originally scheduled length (i.e. 9 innings). 1. If a site is changed in a series for a single game or two games, the rest of the series can still be played at the original site, upon agreement of both institutions. 2. In the event a site is changed and the team originally scheduled to be the home team travels to the site of the originally scheduled away team, the now host team (originally visitor) will be responsible for securing and paying umpires, securing and paying game workers, providing game balls and shall reimburse the now traveling team (originally home team) for transportation/bus cost. 3. Rescheduling protocol will be as follows: a. Home team has option to find a neutral site to be agreed upon by both teams with each team picking up their own travel expenses and home team having all responsibility of a home game (financial costs for traveling to neutral site, umpires, game management, sports information, athletic training, etc.) b. Game site is changed to original visitor team’s field. c. Game is rescheduled to a later date at the original home team’s field. 4. In the event a site is changed, the team originally scheduled as the home team will still bat second and have final “at bat” as the designated home team in both contests. D. A regularly‐scheduled UMAC contest may only be changed if mutually agreed upon by the head coaches of the two competing institutions. All changes must then be mutually agreed upon by the directors of athletics of the two competing institutions and sent to the UMAC office. The conference office staff has authority to make a final decision to approve or deny the request. Please see the UMAC Schedule Change Policy in UMAC Bylaws for additional information and requirements related to schedule changes. UMAC Baseball Sport Guidelines Page 2 II. Conference Tournament A. The NCAA four‐team double‐elimination format will be followed. 1. The UMAC post‐season tournament will be held in accordance with the following schedule: If Field has Lights Game 1 – Thursday, 4 pm ‐ #2 Seed vs. #3 Seed Game 2 – Thursday, 7 pm #1 Seed vs. #4 Seed Game 3 – Friday, 1 pm – Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 Game 4 – Friday, 4 pm – Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 Game 5 – Friday, 7 pm – Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 Game 6 – Saturday 1 pm – Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 Game 7 – Saturday, 4 pm – If Necessary Game If Field Does Not Have Lights Game 1 – Thursday, 1 pm ‐ #2 Seed vs. #3 Seed Game 2 – Thursday, 4 pm ‐ #1 Seed vs. #4 Seed Game 3 – Friday, 10 am – Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 Game 4 – Friday, 1 pm – Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 Game 5 – Friday, 4 pm – Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 Game 6 – Saturday, 1 pm – Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 Game 7 – Saturday, 4 pm – If Necessary Game 2. The home team for post‐season tournament contests will be determined as follows: Games 1‐5 – Highest seed (#1 seed defined as highest seed) will be home team. Games 6‐7 – Home team determined based upon guidelines cited in NCAA Baseball Championships Handbook for championship contests. 3. The 10‐run rule as defined by the NCAA after seven innings will be in effect for all post‐season tournament games. 4. For tournament contests, if it is the first contest of the day for both teams, 30 minutes will be given before the contest to allow for both teams to take infield. If it is the first contest of the day for just one team, 20 minutes will be given before the contest. 5. Infield practice times will follow the regular season guidelines. B. The regular season champion or number one seed (if tiebreakers are needed with co‐champions) of the current season will host the tournament. The host institution may elect to conduct the tournament at the site of their choosing with the approval of the UMAC Council of Athletics Directors. If that institution chooses not to host, the hosting rights will be offered to institutions in descending order of regular season conference standings for the current season using tiebreaker criteria if needed. C. Tie‐breakers to determine tournament selection and tournament seeding will be as follows. UMAC Baseball Sport Guidelines Page 3 1. Record in head‐to‐head competition. 2. Best combined winning percentage against higher seeded teams. 3. Record versus teams in conference standings in descending order of finish. 4. A play‐in game to get into the tournament (only used to determine the fourth seed and team participating in tournament) 5. Run differential in head‐to‐head contests amongst tied teams. 6. Least amount of runs allowed in all conference contests. 7. Coin flip D. The winner of the post‐season conference tournament will receive the Automatic Qualifier (“AQ”) to the NCAA Championship. 1. If all tournament contests are cancelled and no tournament contests are completed, the highest seed (defined as the #1 seed) will receive the AQ for the NCAA Championship. 2. If contests scheduled for the first two days (Thursday & Friday) of the tournament are postponed, the tournament will become a one‐day, single elimination tournament on Saturday with the winner receiving the Automatic Qualifier to the NCAA Championship. The one‐day tournament can be moved to a different site if necessary in order to complete the contests. a. If the tournament is started and three games or less are completed, then the highest remaining seed (defined as the #1 seed) in the post‐season tournament shall receive the AQ for the NCAA Championship. b. If the tournament is started and four or more contests are completed, then the highest remaining seed (defined as the #1 seed) with the best tournament record based upon winning percentage will receive the AQ for the NCAA Championship. III. All‐Conference Team A. A 25‐member All‐Conference Team shall be selected according to the following procedure. 1. Each coach shall nominate players providing statistics for both overall season and conference only as well as other pertinent information. 2. You may not vote for your own players. 3. The coaches will vote and select All‐Conference Team by position according to the following: 7 Pitchers 5 Outfielders 8 Infielders 2 Catchers 3 Utility UMAC Baseball Sport Guidelines Page 4 4. If a student‐athlete(s) is/are selected to first‐team all‐conference for two or more positions, the first‐team all‐conference team must remain at no less than 25 honorees, thus the additional position(s) will be filled accordingly based upon coaches’ voting in applicable positions. 5. The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) definition of a utility player and qualification of a utility player for award nominations shall be used for the determination of nominating student‐athlete for all‐conference under the utility designation. B. The Honorable Mention All‐Conference Team will consist of two student‐athletes from each team and is determined by the coaches selecting two student‐athletes from their team that did not receive First Team All‐Conference recognition. C. A UMAC Player, Pitcher, and Rookie of the Year will be recognized based upon the voting of the coaches. IV. Game Regulations Management A. Pre‐Game Practice 1. The home team shall complete batting practice 1 hour prior to the start of the game. The visiting team shall complete batting practice 30 minutes prior to the start of the game. 2. Infield practice for the home team shall begin 30 minutes prior to the start of the game. Infield practice for the visiting team shall begin 20 minutes prior to the start of the game. B. Collegiate affiliated and associated umpires only for conference games and tournament. C. NCAA baseball rules and contest limitations will be followed. 1. Local ground rules shall be explained to the visiting coach and to the umpire prior to the start of the game. 2. Ball‐Diamond D1‐Pro for conference games and tournament. 3. The 10‐run rule as defined by the NCAA after seven innings will be in effect for all nine‐inning regular season conference contests. D. All partially completed games should follow the Halted Game Rule and shall be completed from the point of suspension as outlined in the NCAA Playing Rules. Coaches must mutually agree on a make‐up date and site. If an agreement cannot be reached, the Athletics Directors from each of the two participating institutions shall make the decision on a make‐up date and site. E. Games may be postponed by either team when the temperature is below 32 degrees F or the wind chill factor is below 22 degrees F. If the forecast for the home team’s area indicates that conditions will not reach the above minimum standard by game time, the game may be postponed. The decision to postpone the game must be made prior to the time that the visiting team leaves their school, unless otherwise agreed upon. V. Scouting & Videotape Protocols UMAC Baseball Sport Guidelines Page 5 A. Exchange of information about UMAC teams to non‐conference teams is prohibited. B. Phone contact with other UMAC coaches for the purpose of the exchange of information about conference teams is prohibited. VI. Professional Memberships A. Coaches are strongly encouraged to be active members of the American Baseball Coaches Association.