Play-In Games Set for State Softball, Baseball

The state tournament play-in games for division one softball and baseball have been announced, according to Hawaii High School Athletic Association Executive Director Christopher Chun and Big Island Interscholastic Federation Executive Secretary Lyle Crozier.

State tournament play-in games are determined by a formula which factors in the representation from each league for the tournament, based on how many schools compete in a particular division. This year’s formula has not been released yet to the media.

To use baseball as an example, the baseball play-in game was needed because Pac-Five of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu moved up from division two. That gave the ILH another top division team, which changed the numbers for the BIIF and the Oahu Interscholastic Association. Because of the BIIF’s small number of teams, four, in division one, and the large amount of teams in the OIA, the play-in game was necessary to determine the most qualified representative in the state tournament.

April 28th will be the date for the softball play-in, held at a time to be determined at the school site of the BIIF representative. The game will feature the second-place team from the league hosting the sixth-place team out of the OIA. The winner will have a berth in the 12-team Data House / HHSAA Division I Softball Tournament, held May 2 – 5 at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium on Oahu.

To accomodate the play-in game, the BIIF semifinals and championship have been moved. The semifinals will be played at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 24th, at the higher seeded team’s home field. The championship game will be moved up to Thursday, April 26th, at 3:00 p.m., also at the higher seeded team’s home field.

Wong Stadium will host the baseball play-in game on Wednesday, May 2nd, at 3:00 p.m. The game will also feature the BIIF’s runner up against the sixth-place team out of the OIA, with the winner getting a berth in the 12-team Wally Yonamine Foundation / HHSAA Division I Baseball Tournament, played May 8 – 11 at Les Murakami Stadium on Oahu. The baseball play-in game will be aired on AM 850 in Hilo and AM 790 in Kona, and streamed online at ESPNHawaii.com.