Seven innings.
That's how many innings you play in Little League baseball. That's how many innings you play in high school. And that's how many innings you play in the Scenic West Athletic Conference?
That question is one you hear just about anytime you sit in the stands at John L. Harvey Field, which will play host to the Region XVIII tournament beginning today at 10 a.m. Those words aren't just spoken from the casual fan, but even Major League scouts. One asked earlier this season, "All of them aren't nine-inning games?"
During the regular season, in a four-game series teams play seven innings, followed by nine and then two more sevens in the next day's doubleheader. But come tournament time all games go to nine innings, which for some teams can wreak havoc on their bullpens, putting a premium on depth and starters going longer on the mound.
"It's a different mindset going into a nine-inning game, I think," Southern Idaho coach Boomer Walker said. "From an offensive standpoint, from a pitching standpoint, you feel like it's real baseball I guess. In a seven-inning game, you get one of those guys whose kind of hot on the mound and it's like he kind of just controls that whole game. It makes it kind of easy for some guys in those situations.
"Those extra couple of innings, even though it doesn't seem like much, a lot can happen in a two-inning span in a college baseball game."
In 228 SWAC games there have been 42 complete games pitched. Of those games, the two teams that have the most complete games are on opposite ends of the winning spectrum. Southern Nevada and Colorado Northwestern both have tossed nine complete conference games this season, but the difference is why each has done it.
The Coyotes come into the tournament as the No. 2 seed, having gone 27-10 in conference play in part because of dominant pitching. Three of their four starters " Gabe Weidenaar, Joe Robinson and Chasen Shreve " have accounted for 150 of their 271 innings. The Coyotes' pitching staff also has the best earned run average in the conference with a 3.05.
Northwestern Colorado on the other hand comes into the tourney having won just three games in conference play (3-36) and boasting a conference worst 8.95 ERA. Three of the Spartans' starters " Todd Kruse, Wacey Sorenson and Clayton Parks " account for 151.1 of their 257.1 innings. The high innings and ERA can be attributed to a team that doesn't have as much pitching depth as the top teams in the conference.
Those types of holes will be exposed especially if a team like the Spartans is able to upset a team or two and extend their playoff run. CSN and Western Nevada, the No. 1 seed, will have easier roads because they get a first-round bye, which keeps some of the pitching load off their arms.
"Pitching depth becomes a big issue in this tournament, especially if you're not one of the top two seeds," Walker said. "An extra nine-inning game is a lot for most college pitching staffs. So it definitely does give an advantage to the top two seeds and I think that's why you generally see one of those two teams win the tournament."
Bullpen pitchers are going to be worth their weight in gold this week, especially guys like WNC's Kyle Starratt and Kramer Champlin, who have spot started during the season and showed they can go the distance if needed.
Starratt has pitched 40.1 innings in conference play and has made seven starts with one complete game. Champlin is coming off a complete-game, no-hitter three weeks ago and is the Wildcats' closer.
"Thursday, it's either going to be me or Champlin coming in (for long relief)," Starratt said. "And who ever doesn't is going to be available Friday (if WNC advances to the semifinals). Then there's the potential of using one of us to go Saturday (in the championship game too)."
There also lies an importance for pitchers to not pace themselves to pitch further into the game.
The SWAC is a strong offensive conference this season with 24 players hitting better than .300 in the wood-bat league. Pitchers still are going to have to bring their best pitches to the mound because hitters will be at an advantage as they'll will get to see more pitches from one pitcher and learn how they behave in certain situations.
"We love playing nine innings," Western Nevada coach D.J. Whittemore said. "You're near panic mode the first time you come up (to bat in seven inning games). In a nine-inning game you can sit back, relax and have quality at-bats and over the course of nine innings you feel like the best team wins."