IHSA Girls Softball: Early reaction on pitching distance change mixed locally
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Fastpitch softball-at any level, male or female-is a game dominated by the pitchers.
A new change, however, has taken some of the luster away from pep pitchers as the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) hopes to create better balance between the offensive and defensive aspects of the game.
After debating the issue for more than a decade , the NFHS voted to increase the pitching distance for high school varsity softball hurlers from 40 feet to 43 feet during its annual meeting last summer.
Although mandatory beginning with the 2010-11 school year, NFHS-member state high school associations were allowed to adopt the 43-feet distance in 2009-10, if desired. The Illinois High School Association,-a member of the NFHS- voted to implement the new distance for the 2010 season, which is barely three weeks old.
Local coaches say the change has made an immediate impact.
"The 43-foot pitching distance has already made the game more offensive," 26th year and Illinois Coaches Association (ICA) Hall-of-Famer Greg Hale of Pinckneyville said. "I have seen some hot shots hit to the pitcher in one of our games already. It will give the offense a better chance to put the ball in play. "
Jason James, fifth year coach at Du Quoin, sees both good and bad in the move back to 43'. Most high school-aged pitchers began throwing from that distance during last summer's travel season.
"I like the change, only time will tell if it was a good move," said James. As long as teams play solid defense behind their pitchers they should be fine…if you are not very good defensively you are going to struggle."
In winning six of its first seven games, James' Lady Indians are on a record home run pace, bashing 18 roundtrippers. Freshman Cassidy Rice already has six, just one shy of tying the single season record set two years ago by Kasi Camden.
Two states-Oregon and Florida-are traditional hot beds for girls softball. Each expiremented with the shift to 43' in 2009. Florida's high school association was one of the driving forces behind the change. The "Sunshine State" has used the 43' distance for its prep girls since 2006.
Both states boasted favorable reviews and coaches overwhelmingly supported the change, citing more balls put in play and the fact that the NCAA pitching plate has always been 43 feet away.
Hale expects defense to be at a premium, even more so than in the past.
"I think that it might hurt the real good pitchers as now it will slow their speed of pitches down and cut down on strike outs," he said. "The third basemen and pitchers will be under more pressure as more balls will be put in play. Most batters are right handed so it means that a lot more balls will be pulled."
2000 Elverado graduate Allison (Thompson) Keith pitched for SIU-Carbondale and Liberty University. She now coaches a summer travel team and helps tutor young pitchers.
The transition of freshmen pitchers moving into high school competition- and sometimes facing batters three and four years older-concerns Keith most.
"I don't really like it," she confirmed. "The transition period is tough enough on the girls. The extra three feet is going the make a huge difference. A pitcher moving up will need to really be able to make the ball move. Those who can't are going to be in trouble."
Keith also pointed out that junior high pitchers-who throw from 38' as eighth graders-are being pushed back an extra five feet as they enter high school.
Du Quoin native John Barnes has turned tiny Mulberry Grove into one of south central Illinois' top programs. He sees the change bringing the bunting game back into softball.
"I tell you what, from a strategical standpoint, the thing that I forsee is not that it will be much different in the battle of pitcher vs. hitter," Barnes said. "At first it may be more productive for a hitter. Both will learn to adapt in time. The absolute factor that I believe will go under the radar is that the small game just got a bit easier. In a game where small ball plays a huge role, now, you don't have to just bunt to the foul lines."
Veteran coach Donette Wheatley-who led Elverado to the Class 1A sectional finals last spring-is greeting the change with a wait -and -see attitude. Her early impressions are not favorable.
"I really have mixed emotions," she said. "It's going to be a big adjustment for the girls, especially the younger ones. I know its the same distance as college will be, but only so many girls are good enough in high school to pitch at that next level. "