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TSSAA Baseball Changes Affect Local Teams

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Just weeks after the state baseball tournaments in Murfreesboro, the TSSAA Board of Control has voted to implement changes to the region and sectional tournaments starting next season (2023). District Tournaments won’t change except those needed to be played by May 9.

Region Tournaments
The old format took the district winners and runner-ups and did a single elimination format in which the losers of the semi-finals were eliminated and the two winners play for the region title and move on to sectionals or substate.

The new region format still takes the district champions and runner-up but will form a four-team tournament hosted by one of the No. 1 teams based on odd and even years.

The tournament will be a two-day double elimination tournament beginning May 12. The first round will be played with the same matchups as in the old formats. Number 1 from one district will face the number 2 from the other district.

The two winners advance to a Saturday matchup at noon with that winner crowned region champion. The first-round losers would then play at 3 p.m. with the loser of that contest being eliminated. The remaining two teams would play at 6 p.m. for the No. 2 seed from the region.

Sectional Tournaments
The old sectional format was also single elimination with region winners hosting the runner-up from the opposite region.

The new sectional round will begin on May 18 and will be a best-of-three series between the region champs and the No. 2 seeds from the other region. The first day will be a doubleheader, hosted by region champions. An if-necessary game will be played on May 19 and hosted by the region runner-ups.

The TSSAA reportedly made the changes to increase the opportunity of getting the best teams in the state tournament.