Going, going, gone?
The number of Mississippi schools fielding slow-pitch softball teams continues to dwindle to the point that the future of slow-pitch as a Mississippi High School Activities Association sport is in doubt.
MHSAA associate director for athletics Ricky Neaves said about 20 schools dropped the sport this year, reducing the number fielding teams to 89. That's just a little more than one-third of the member schools.
Slow-pitch has been reduced to two classes, with 1A, 2A and 3A schools in Class I and 4A, 5A and 6A schools in Class II. Three years ago, there were five classes.
“We will reassess this at the end of the slow-pitch season as we do every season,” Neaves said. “If the numbers continue to dwindle as they have, it might not be feasible for the '20-’21 season.”
East Webster and Eupora are two schools still playing slow-pitch and neither has any plans to drop the sport.
“Everybody in the school is still interested in it,” said East Webster Athletic director Doug Wilson. “The coaches still want to continue the sport and we have so many girls who want to play it.” He said East Webster will probably field a slow-pitch team as long as the sport is recognized by the MHSAA.
Eupora athletic director Adam Dillinger expressed the same sentiment. “We’re happy, and more importantly the girls are happy, with slow pitch. We’re always evaluating our programs, but I don’t see us dropping it.”
Eupora was runner-up in Class I last year and East Webster reached the third round of the playoffs. East Union, the team that beat Eupora in the championship series, has dropped the sport.
East Webster and Eupora will compete in Class I, Region 4 with Hamilton, Hatley and Winona. Hamilton is a 1A school, East Webster and Eupora 2A and Hatley and Winona 3A.
Most of the schools that dropped slow-pitch have replaced it with volleyball as a fall sport for girls. Volleyball will increase from three to four classes this year.
Neaves pointed out that a reason for schools dropping slow-pitch and replacing it with volleyball is because there is no slow-pitch at colleges or junior colleges. “There is no next level and no scholarships offered,” he said.
