Baseball

Updated January 23, 2012

5.2.1 Playing Season

• two-day series featuring two doubleheaders consisting of a 9-inning contest in Game 1 and a 7-inning contest in Game 2
• three-day series featuring two single 9-inning games and one doubleheader featuring two 7-inning games (October 2011)

5.2.1.3 Teams eligible for the PacWest Baseball Championship Tournament shall not schedule non-PacWest games during the PacWest tournament.

5.2.1.4  All PacWest teams must schedule conference games prior to making commitments to non-conference teams for dates, allowing accommodations for spring break to make travel easier for both Mainland and Hawai‘i schools. 

5.2.1.5  All PacWest institutions shall notify all other PacWest institutions of the dates of their spring break as soon as that information has been made available.

5.2.1.6  Any PacWest conference game which is cancelled due to inclement weather, must be made up during the next PacWest series at that opponent's site.

5.2.1.7 All member institutions shall observe the NCAA starting date for pre-season practice regardless of geographic location. No geographic exceptions are allowed. (Updated October 2010)

5.2.2 Game Conduct

5.2.2.1 Time/length of contests:

5.2.2.1.1 Scheduling is recommended to occur between Thursday through Sunday, if possible, but allowances are made for travel to and from Hawaii, and for other trips of great distance. Make-up games are scheduled per mutual consent of the involved institutions' coaches and athletics directors. (Updated April 2010) 

5.2.2.1.2 Game times are agreed upon between the two institutions. Game site and time changes due to inclement weather require mutual verbal agreement from each institution's director of athletics or designee and must be submitted to the PacWest Commissioner. Host schools can adjust starting times for safety purposes as needed. (Updated April 2010)

5.2.2.1.3 All rules utilized for NCAA Championship play shall be utilized in all PacWest games, including dugout decorum. The host institution shall insure that the officials enforce the NCAA and PacWest regulations.

5.2.2.2 A maximum travel & home roster size of thirty-five NCAA eligible players must be exchanged by head coaches no later than the pre-game meeting prior to each single game and prior to the first game of a doubleheader. The roster must include the name and uniform number of each of the players. The only exception to a roster change would be due to an injury.

5.2.2.3 There will be a thirty-minute intermission between games of a doubleheader.

5.2.2.4 Site available for practice: Batting practice for the visiting team shall be at minimum 30 minutes in length. Home team will have batting practice at there own discretion prior to the visitors hitting time.  If inclement weather does not provide for on field batting practice, visiting team must be permitted to use any hitting facilities that the home team has access to for the allotted 30 minutes.  Each team will have a maximum of 10 minutes infield practice, with a minimum of 10 minutes for field preparation.

5.2.2.5 Jersey Color - Light jerseys will be worn by the home team and dark jerseys will be worn by the visiting team.  Upon mutual agreement between head coach's jersey protocol may be changed to accommodate visiting teams.

5.2.2.6 The host institution trainer shall provide ice and water for both teams in their dugouts no later than the start of batting practice. Each site should provide opponent, with equal opportunity to the field (practice mounds, screens, dugouts, etc.). Restrooms should be accessible at all sites for teams and fans.

5.2.2.7 The host institution shall provide locker room (including a lavatory) and shower facilities for the visiting teams on a final game day of a Pac-West series. The visiting teams are responsible for furnishing their own towels and are to request shower access at least 48 hours before arrival at the game site.

5.2.3 Championships (Updated April 2010)

5.2.3.1 The winner of the PacWest regular season as determined by winning percentage shall be declared the PacWest Champion. In case of a tie, co-champions shall be declared. When and if the conference has a post-season tournament, the winner of the PacWest Championship Tournament will be designated as the PacWest Tournament Champion.

5.2.3.2 (EFFECTIVE STARTING 2012-13.) In the case of a tie for first place in the conference standings, the winner of the head-to-head competition between the tying teams shall be declared conference champion. In all other cases, or in the case that a tie is not broken in head-to-head competition, co-champions shall be declared.

5.2.3.3 If and when the conference receives an automatic qualifier for the NCAA II Championship, the tiebreaker shall be: 

• Head to head results
• Record against teams in descending order of finish
• Highest ranking by NCAA West Region Regional Advisory Committee
• Coin-flip supervised by Commissioner

5.2.3.4 When and if the conference has a post-season tournament, the PacWest Championship Tournament will consist of the four (4) teams with the No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 highest winning percentages in the regular season PacWest schedule. The tournament will be a double-elimination format.

5.2.3.5 When and if the conference has a post-season tournament, and in the event of a tie in the regular season winning percentages among eligible teams for the PacWest Championship Tournament, the tournament participant(s) and/or seedings will be determined in the following order of tiebreakers: 1) Head-to-head record; 2) Compare tied teams' winning percentage against teams selected for the tournament; 3) Compare tied teams' winning percentage against the highest ranked non-participating tournament team; 4) Coin Flip.

First Round - 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3.

5.2.3.6 When and if the conference has a post-season tournament, the conference is to officially begin the "site selection process" for the baseball championship by sending materials to member institutions (including an information form for institutions to fill out) by April 5. This "site selection process" will include member institutions returning the form and a letter of interest to the Commissioner's Office by April 19. The tournament site will be determined by the Commissioner, Liaison and PacWest President. The first right of refusal to host the tournament will be given to the first team to clinch a playoff spot, provided the institution has submitted a valid bid. Should the first team to clinch not be able to host, teams qualifying in successive order of clinching a playoff spot will be given the opportunity to host provided the institution has submitted a valid bid. (Revised: 9/2005)

5.2.3.7 When and if the conference has a post-season tournament, an institutional administrator from each participating team must be present at the event. The administrator may be the FAR or a non-Executive Council member. The administrator must attend the championship for the duration of the team's involvement.

5.2.4 Awards

5.2.4.1. The conference shall name an all-conference First Team and Second Team consisting of the following positions: 1st Base, 2^nd Base, Shortstop, 3^rd Base, Outfield (3 per team), Catcher, Pitcher (2 per team), Relief Pitcher, and Designated Hitter.

5.2.4.2. Each institution shall have the opportunity to nominate one player for each position (Exception: two pitchers and three outfielders may be nominated).

5.2.4.3. The all-conference team shall be determined in a weighted voting process per position with the top vote recipient being named First Team and the runner-up being named Second Team.

5.2.4.4. The conference shall name a Player, Pitcher, Newcomer and Freshman of the Year.

5.2.4.5. The pitcher with the highest number of all-conference votes shall be named the Pitcher of the Year.

5.2.4.6. Each institution shall have the opportunity to nominate one student-athlete for each of the following awards - Player, Newcomer and Freshman of the Year. Any position player - including pitchers - shall be eligible for these awards.

5.2.4.7. The Player, Newcomer and Freshman of the Year shall be determined in a weighted voting process with the top vote recipient being named the award winner.

5.2.5 Special Equipment/Special Situations

5.2.5.1 Host institutions must provide a drying agent on site to minimize the effects of rain (e.g. tarp or diamond drying substance). The Host institution must also make all reasonable efforts to maintain playable field conditions. 

5.2.5.2 Any Pac-West conference scheduled game which is cancelled due to inclement weather, and is unable to be made up the following day at the home site, must be made up during the next Pac-West series at the opponent's site if schedule permits.

5.2.5.3 Rained-out or suspended games shall adhere NCAA Division II baseball rulebook.  (Any game halted because of a facility failure) - the following procedures for makeup will be in effect: 1) The next scheduled game at the home site shall be played as a doubleheader upon mutual agreement between head coaches concerning travel constraints, 2) If the last scheduled game is rained out or suspended, and PacWest scheduling permits teams will make up the games at the opponents site during the next PacWest scheduled series. 3) Failure of a team to abide by the makeup rules will result in forfeiture.

5.2.5.4 If the visiting team is traveling on the final day of the series, no inning may begin after 4:30 p.m. unless a mutual agreement between head coaches extends curfew.  

5.2.5.5 In cases where the final game of a weekend series cannot be completed the PacWest shall utilize the NCAA Official Game Rule instead of the Suspended or Halted-Game Rule.

5.2.5.6 The official baseball of the PacWest is provided by Rawlings. This ball is to be used in all PacWest games and the PacWest Championship.