After winning their respective Region Tournaments this past weekend the first order of business for the qualifying teams was to select three draftees to join their State Tournament roster.

There has been some discussion in recent years about whether Class C should do what Class B does and not have a draft.

I am not in favor of eliminating it because the games at the end of Class C would be ugly when the regular roster tries to come up with the arms necessary to advance on the final weekend.

Remember Class C has 48 total teams.  16 games are played opening weekend (32 teams)  each of the 16 Regions have a champion get the first weekend of the tournament off (byes).  It is single elimination all the way.

To eliminate the draft in my opinion you would need to lower the number of teams who qualify for state so there are not as many games required to win the tournament.

Currently Region 3C (the Region the Faribault Lakers are in) has 4 teams go to state.  Region 5C (Wanamingo, Cannon Falls) 3 teams, Region 6C (Waterville, Morristown) 3 teams.  Just some examples

You could easily go to a 32 team tournament by only allowing the champion and second place team to go and if you wanted 16 teams obviously only the champions would qualify.

The MBA expanded the tournament a number of years ago in Class C and it has been very successful in terms of attendance and revenue.  More players get to experience the atmosphere provided at the State Tournament after playing all summer in most cases infront of significantly smaller crowds.

Draftees bring some fans from their team on board to cheer the team they are playing for at state.  Multiply 3 draftees for each of the 48 teams.  It is quite an impact even if just their parents attend.

Teams that play this weekend have to win 6 games in order to be the Minnesota State Class C Amateur Baseball Champions.

Class B has 16 teams qualify and has 5 or 7 games to the title contest because they go double elimination once there are four teams remaining.

The Minnesota Baseball Association Handbook for 2021 by-laws include this information concerning players roster rules.  I highlighted the draft players requirements and Designated Hitter Rule and provided red coler to highlight that verbage.

Article 20 – Special Regional & Sectional Player Rules
1. Class A-B-C teams will be allowed 25 listed players on their rosters
exclusive of drafted players. Said lists must be certified by the
secretary of the league and the manager of the competing teams and
must comply with the rules of both the region-section and state
tournament. No substitutions will be allowed. Active Duty Servicemen
excepted.
2. Every listed player shall have played in four or more games in the
regular league schedules. No exceptions to the 4 game. A new player
signing a new contract must play in four regular league schedule
games. Such listings must be under the player’s correct name and if
known under an assumed name, both correct and assumed names
must be signed to the contract used during the regular season. If one
of the last three scheduled games of the regular season is rained out
or forfeited, such game shall count toward the player’s eligibility, if he
is available to play. Only team receiving forfeit may count the game
as eligibility for post season play.
3. Any team found guilty of playing an ineligible player shall be deprived
of its share of the receipts of the regional tournament.
Penalty: Loss of all game shares and eliminated from tournament
play.
4. Each class “C” team is permitted to draft three (3) eligible players,
these players must be pitchers only. These players can only pitch.
They will not be allowed to hit. Drafted players cannot re-enter or DH.
Regions will be allowed to set up their own draft as they agree on,
either from their regions or their league or a combination of both.
5. Class “A” and Class “B” teams will not draft any players for post
season play.
6. In Class C if a player is asked to be drafted and refuses to go with
that team, he will not be allowed to be drafted by any other team and
that team does not lose their draft position.
7. Drafted players are eligible to play in exhibition games only as a pitcher.

Here is the MBA Handbook verbage for the Designated Hitter Rules at the State Tournament.

14. Any of the starting players may withdraw and re-enter once,
except drafted players, including a player who was the designated
hitter, provided such player occupies the same batting position
whenever he is in the lineup. A substitute who is withdrawn may not
re-enter. A hitter may be (it is not mandatory) designated for anyone
starting player (not just pitchers) and all subsequent substitutes for
that player in the game. A designated hitter for said player must be
selected prior to the start of the game and his name must be included
on the lineup cards presented to the game supervisor and to the
official scorer. It is not mandatory that a team use a designated hitter,
but failure to declare such a hitter prior to the game precludes the use
of a designated hitter in that game. If pinch hitter or pinch runner for
the designated hitter is used, that player becomes the new designated hitter. The player who was the designated hitter may re-enter as designated hitter under the re-entry rule. The role of the designated hitter is terminated for the remainder of the game when
(1) The defensive player, or any previous defensive player for whom
the designated hitter batted, subsequently bats, pinch hits or pinch
runs for the designated hitter; or (2) The designated hitter or any
previous designated hitter assumes a defensive position. A
designated hitter and the player for whom he is batting are “locked”
into the batting order. No multiple substitutions may be made that will
alter the batting rotation.

I would love to hear fans thoughts on the draft.

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