The University Interscholastic League recently approved moving forward with a couple of proposals that have Aledo baseball coach Chad Barry and golf coach Brian Mourning happy.
The approved changes, pending final approval by the UIL, are for baseball teams in Classes 5A and 6A to play a best-of-three series in all playoff rounds before the state tournament. Currently, if coaches cannot agree on a playoff format, it is determined by a coin flip.
In golf, assistant coaches could now be allowed to also coach players during a competitive round, whereas currently only the head coach can work with them from tee to green, and not once they are on the green. That rule has not changed.
“I think it is a good thing for baseball, especially at the larger classifications. I think it allows the best overall team to advance,” Barry said of best-of-three series, which he added has always been his personal choice. “I do prefer a best-of-three series and always have. I think it’s what is best. I feel like if my team can’t beat the other team twice, then we don’t deserve to advance.
“It keeps people who have one dominating pitcher from being able to coin flip their way through the playoffs. I think a series is the best way to showcase who the best overall team is.”
Barry would like to see another change, which would take this one even further.
“If we can keep this type of format for the playoffs, then maybe down the road we can turn the state tournament into a championship series later on,” he said. “Not sure how the format would look. I think maybe you send two teams instead of four. Basically, taking the state-semifinal rounds out of the state tournament and having Regions 1 and 2 play for a trip to state, and Regions 3 and 4 meet for a trip to state. Then you have a championship series in Round Rock.”
Barry has led two Aledo teams to state, winning in 2014 and reaching the semifinals in 2015.
Mourning said having an assistant coach will help alleviate the pressure on a head coach trying to help all players.
“They’re kids, they’re going to make mistakes, and having the additional set of eyes to help eliminate those mistakes is good,” Mourning said. “I’ve heard coaches across the state say all the time, ‘I’m one coach, one set of eyes.’
Mourning said the rule change will be especially helpful if there are more than one team entered in a tournament, a common thing for the Aledo program.
“With us having an Orange and Black team, I have to decide which to coach. Having an extra coach out there, it’s going to be great,” he said. “We had our district preview and I had 20 kids on the course. It was hard.
“It’s an emotional game. If a kid gets upset, if I’m three holes over I can’t get there quickly to calm him down. But having an assistant to be able to help, he can walk them off of that emotional rollercoaster.”
Mourning also believes it will help control spectator interference, which is not a problem with Aledo fans, but is possible for his players or any others to experience at any tournament.
“Our fans are good, but sometimes there are parents who try to coach their kids. Some of them just don’t know better, but it can be a distraction.
“I like this change. I think it’s coming with the growth of the sport. When you have growth, you have to grow with it.”
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