What’s In This Issue?
• Innovative Baseball Products Win Top Awards: CB takes a look at nine special inventions that are tremendous advances for game of baseball.
• NCAA Ejections Rise For 5th Consecutive Year: Combined 862 coaches, players tossed during 2019 season.
• Special High School National Preview Section:
♦ Pre-Season high school all-americans.
♦ 2020 state-by-state list of top high school players.
♦ Top 30 high school teams in the nation listed along with rundowns of each team. No. 1 Jesuit High School (Tampa, Fla.) returns eight of nine starting position players along with its entire pitching staff. Eight pitchers have signed or committed to NCAA Div. I schools.
• ABCA Convention Review, Photo Pages: Record crowd of 7,100 attends 76th annual event in Nashville that produced lots of news, including:
♦ 20-second clock with runners on base.
♦ In-season bat testing.
♦ Chest protectors.
♦ Highest strikeout total in 50 years.
♦ ERA highest in 10 years.
♦ CWS attendance.
♦ Seeding for NCAA championship.
♦ Video replay review.
♦ Flat-seam baseball results.
♦ RPI release dates.
♦ MLB Draft will be in Omaha June 10-12.
♦ Numerous awards that were presented.
• St. John’s Head Coach Steps Down: Amazing skipper Ed Blankmeyer takes position as manager of Brooklyn Cyclones.
• Ruleball With Rich Marazzi: Here is his annual baseball rules quiz that will show how well you know the rules.
• Tom Kovic Column: Searching for a college is difficult for many high school players and parents.
• Analytics & Hitting: Dr. Coop DeRenne delves into this intriguing subject with historic facts about hitting.
• Harry Stille Passes Away: Former skipper at Erskine College was second winningest coach in school history.
• Jason Varitek Given Tremendous Honor: Former Georgia Tech. All-American, Major Leaguer inducted into Florida State Sports Hall of Fame.
