THE FRONT ROW with JASON ELLIOTT: A good start, but a better finish needed for local high school baseball

At the start of the high school baseball season, it was more of a curiosity just how this season was going to go. 

Not only were area schools trying to fit anywhere from 18 to 20 games into a short window, but they had to compete against Mother Nature, whether it was the weather, daylight, or you name it. 

AS SOME discussion comes up for how to expand state tournaments in basketball, eyes are likely on just how the regional state play-in rounds — which will feature three teams in four different pods around the state — and the actual state tournament will play out in a few weeks. 

With the extra games for those who move on, something had to give. 

Mike Federico, an assistant director of the Idaho High School Activities Association who also serves as the state's baseball director, said the final MaxPreps.com rankings and play-in series sites and brackets will be announced on May 4. In 6A, the District 1 champion will host, as will the District 5-6 champion. District 3 will host two pods.

It’s a little strange that someone’s season — which turned out to be Post Falls', after losing to Lake City — came to an end on Friday afternoon in a 6A District 1 loser-out game.

Earlier this season, Post Falls had the second games of doubleheaders with Lake City and Coeur d’Alene halted due to darkness. 

If those games ended up factoring into where teams finished in the Inland Empire League, the Trojans could have played every day leading into the loser-out game. 

Coaches won’t make excuses however, but I will. 

Just how is a team, which is limited on how many pitches a player can throw on a particular day, supposed to navigate playing anywhere from six to seven games in a week? 

Another factor is that, with more options to play during the spring with track and field, tennis and lacrosse, or just losing interest in playing, the depth of some teams is limited to anywhere from 12 to 15 on the varsity roster. 

In other words, some schools just aren't getting the number of players out for the team that they used to get.

Coaches have likely been losing sleep over setting up a rotation of pitchers that can compete on one day, then run the risk of not having them again, should they play another twinbill within two days. 

A FEW years ago, it was a point of emphasis to get those games within the Inland Empire League in, one way or another, with schools opting to play league games as doubleheaders. 

In the case of those 6A schools, it was understandable that Post Falls, Lake City, Coeur d’Alene and Lewiston wanted to get those games in when they could, because in all likelihood, if a makeup game involved playing another game in Lewiston, it meant more time out of school for them, or those schools traveling here. 

Maybe the 6A schools should weigh the option of doing away with those doubleheaders and instead playing single games instead against each other. 

It might spread dates out a little more, but with the schools being so close, does it really matter what day of the week that game is played on?

Just as long as they're getting played, right?

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for The Press. He can be reached by telephone at 208-664-8176, Ext. 1206 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on 'X', formerly Twitter @JECdAPress.