Statewide rainout pushes AHSAA baseball playoffs to Saturday

Derek Irons had Friday’s date circled on his calendar for weeks. But his game day excitement changed to disappointment when he looked out his window minutes after waking up Friday Morning.

April 18 signaled the star of the Alabama High School Athletic Association playoffs, and Irons’ opportunity to begin another quest of a state title, but Mother Nature had a different plan in mind.

A large rain system arrived in the Troy area early Friday morning, and lingered throughout the day, dumping over two inches of rain in Pike County.

The weather system made its way across the southern half of Alabama throughout Friday afternoon, forcing nearly half of the state’s playoff baseball games to be postponed until Saturday.

“It is kind of frustrating,” Irons said Friday afternoon as he looked over a soggy Frazier Field. “Everyone gets excited for the start of the playoffs, and then boom. You wake up and it rains all day. In the playoff system we have, it is pretty much the same throughout the state of Alabama. Everyone is in the same boat.”

Charles Henderson will play a doubleheader against St. James at 3 p.m. Saturday. The second game will begin at 5:30 p.m.

While the game times are set, the location is still up in the air.

As of 5:45 P.m. Friday, the outfield grass of Frazier Field, Charles Henderson’s home field, was under multiple inches of standing water. It is possible the Saturday doubleheader will take place at Troy University’s home, Riddle-Pace Field.

While Irons wants to play the game on the CHHS campus, he feels the Trojans have an advantage if the game is moved to Riddle-Pace.

“We have played there a couple of times this season, so we are more familiar with it than St. James would be,” Irons said. “We want to play at our place, but if the weather doesn’t allow us to, it is nice having the luxury of being able to play at a outstanding venue like Troy has. It definitely beats not being able to play at all.”

With the series being forced to Saturday, Irons said the urgency to win the first two games is even higher now.

“With the way the rules are, it is huge for us to win the first two on Saturday,” said Irons. “Your innings allotment pitching wise starts over on Monday, so if you have to play then the winner will carry innings with them to the next round. It is important for us to take car of business on Saturday and not have to worry with a third game on Monday.”

Pike County’s first-round series against Slocomb was postponed until Saturday as well. The Bulldogs and Redtops will get underway at 3:30 P.m. Saturday.