(column)
I know this may sound blasphemous to many of you but I think college baseball games should be seven innings instead of nine innings.
This past weekend I watched quite a bit of college baseball’s super regional round, especially the series between Southern Miss and Tennessee. But, since I didn’t have a rooting interest in the games, it was hard for me not to change the channel to something else when things got dull and the action stopped. The games were far too long to hold the attention of a neutral observer.
The problem with college baseball games lasting nine innings is that the pitchers aren’t as skilled as major league pitchers. Major Leaugers sometimes have a hard time throwing strikes, so it is no wonder college kids often lose their control. And nothing makes a game drag on longer than a pitcher who can’t find the plate. The aluminum bats also seem to help batters prolong their at bats.
Even with better pitchers, Major League Baseball has addressed its ‘marathon games’ problem by installing a pitch clock this season, which has been generally well received. Why can’t college baseball do something similarly creative and go down to seven innings?
I believe college baseball fans could have just as much fun watching a 2-hour seven inning game than a 3-plus hour nine inning game.
Furthermore, did any of you hear about Stanford pitcher Quinn Mathews who threw an amazingly high 156 pitches against Texas on Sunday night? Mathews, a southpaw, had 16 strikeouts in the game which helped the Cardinal reach the College World Series.
While Mathews was roundly applauded for his guts and grits, many were questioning whether it was the right decision by the Stanford manager to leave him in for so long.
Mathews has aspirations of being a professional one day. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 19th round of the 2022 MLB Draft, but opted to return to Stanford for his senior season.
With seven inning games, pitchers like Mathews may not have to throw their arms out before they reach their dreams.
David W. Healy is the sports editor of the Delta Democrat-Times. He can be reached at dhealy@ddtonline.com.
