AAA Announces State Tournament Sites

By: Zac Bottoms
Arkansas Scouting Director

The Arkansas Activities Association, went through the bid process for the 2017 State Tournament sites below you will find a complete list of host schools.

7A: Bentonville High School
6A: Benton High School
5A: Sylvan Hills High School
4A: Lonoke High School
3A: Bergman High School (Harrison Sportsplex)
2A: East Poinsett County
1A: Woodlawn High School

After completing the semi-finals of the state tournament, the remaining teams will make a trip to the University of Arkansas and Baum Stadium for Championship week end.

Championship week end is an event I always look forward to as it is convenient for talent evaluators the opportunity to sit at one place and see seven competitive games.

The state tournament on the other hand is a coverage nightmare with state tournaments, most years in all four corners of the state. This year geographically speaking the state tournaments will be easier than in years past. There have been years when host sites were Fayetteville HS, Arkansas HS, Harrison HS, Gosnell HS, Genoa Central HS, Marked Tree HS and Taylor Field in Pine Bluff.  This is a huge issue for college talent evaluators, making them pick which tournament to sit on for a day before tracking corner to corner of the state to see the next classification. If they even decide to do this, they may just go to a JUCO tournament to for easier access. If schools are interested in colleges recruiting their players the AAA needs to make it easier for college coaches, to maximize their time and see as much baseball with limited travel.  The playing of multiple games in the same classification, also is not beneficial to any player looking to be seen. Colleges coaches are not going to send multiple coaches to the same tournament, slow the pace down to one game at a time and allow the players an opportunity to be evaluated.

As a parent what can you do? Speak up, talk to your high school athletic director or superintendent, I have voiced my opinion to several coaches, how baseball is regulated with blanket rules that help football and basketball but do not make sense for baseball. I get the same answer if people want a change they have to work through their induvial school, AAA listens to schools administration before making any rulings. Arkansas High School baseball is improving but unless we make it easy for colleges to scout it may go unnoticed.

Related Content