SOFTBALL REGULATIONS

Transcription

1 I. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION / GAME MANAGEMENT A. Administration. An administrator that is not the coach (AD, Associate AD, Assistant AD, SWA, or SID) must be present at each Conference game. B. Amenities. The home team shall provide equivalent facilities and maintenance for home and visiting teams during conference play (e.g., bullpen, heater in dugout). C. Apparel. For Conference play, the official and practice uniforms, as well as standard equipment, shall bear only Conference, institutional, American flag and/or commercial logos or symbols. Commercial logos must appear only within NCAA guidelines. D. Artificial Noisemakers. The use of artificial noisemakers, air horns and electric amplifiers by student athletes, managers, coaches and athletic trainers is prohibited while onsite for competition. For the purpose of this rule, the field, bullpens and dugouts are considered to be on site. Artificial noisemakers, air horns and electric amplifiers shall not be permitted, and such instruments shall be removed from the spectator areas by the game management personnel. E. Ball. The official ball for conference games and conference championships will be the Worth NCAA NC12L softball. F. Bat Testing. All bats shall be tested prior to each Conference series using the Washington State University bat testing machine. Testing should occur two hours prior to the start of the first game of a series. Testing must be completed prior to the start of pregame activities. Additional bats may be tested prior to subsequent games, following the same protocol (two hours prior to game time). A full-time member of each institution s coaching staff and an umpire must be present as a representative designated by the home team tests all bats. Each coach will put his/her team s sticker on the approved bats of the opposing team. If a team is more than five minutes late to testing, the representative should take over the responsibility of the opponent (initialing home team bat stickers). Stickers should be placed on the taper of the bat (just above the grip). The Conference will purchase appropriate stickers to be used for the Conference season. Institutions may purchase additional stickers for non-conference games. Stickers should be removed after the series. If a bat is deemed ILLEGAL, the home team sport administrator or event manager will take possession of the bat for the remainder of the series. The designated administrator will record the necessary information about the bat (manufacturer, bat name, model number, etc.) and notify the Conference office. The Conference will forward the information to Dee Abrahamson, NCAA Softball Secretary and Rules Editor. G. Batting Practice. The home team shall take the first batting practice and infield time slot before games. The format below shall be used for infield and batting practice times: minutes to 60 minutes before game time, the home team will have batting practice. Batting practice may begin earlier than 95 minutes before the game if mutually agreed upon by both coaches minutes to 25 minutes before game time, the visiting team will have batting practice; minutes to 17 minutes before game time, the home team will have infield practice; minutes to 9 minutes before game time, the visiting team will have infield practice; 5. 9 minutes to 5 minutes before game time, the umpire meeting will take place at home plate; 6. 5 minutes to game time, the player introductions and national anthem will take place. 7. In addition, the home team will open up the field, unless there is inclement weather, 2 hours before the start of the game. If two practice areas are available, then teams can practice at the same time. Batting practice shall last a minimum of 35 minutes and start no later than 60 minutes before the start of the game and no earlier than 95 minutes before competition. Batting practice may begin earlier than 95 minutes before the game if mutually agreed upon by both coaches. The host s PA Announcer shall make it known: When there is five minutes before the first infield, When (team name) take the field, When there is one minute remaining on the infield, When the infield is over. 110

2 H. Communication. Each home site press box used by a Conference member will contain a telephone to provide the communication necessary to announce concurrent Conference game scores. Scores should be given several times during the course of games. I. Complimentary Tickets. Fifty (50) complimentary tickets will be provided for the visiting teams during regular season. J. Conduct. Coaches, players and spectators will be held to a high standard of conduct as dictated by the Conference Principles and Standards of Sportsmanship. Officials and administrators will be responsible for enforcing that conduct. Constant work must be done to maintain the proper attitude between players, coaches, and officials. Officials must show players and coaches every courtesy possible. Coaches can help immensely by keeping their squads informed of the high caliber of men/women who officiate Conference USA games. Confrontational talking between players of opposing teams should not be permitted. This is a joint coaching and officiating point of emphasis. K. Crowd Control. Conference institutions are to develop policies and procedures, subject to approval by the Conference office, for crowd control. The policies and procedures should include, but are not limited to the following: police or other security, use of sound system, attitude and actions of coaches and other institutional personnel, instructions to players, entrance and exit of officials, student body conduct and deportment of cheerleaders (if applicable). In Conference USA, crowd control shall be a home management responsibility. Administrative personnel, coaches, players and game officials are reminded that their action and attitudes influence crowd behavior. Coaches and players can assist in controlling crowd reactions by controlling their own reactions to the play of the game; game officials can materially aid in such situations by clearly and quickly signaling penalties. All reports or comments pertaining to officiating or home management responsibilities or concerning officials, coaches and players shall be directed only to the Conference office by letter. Public airing of such matters serve no worthwhile purpose; it is only through reports directed to responsible authorities that these can be properly resolved. L. Emergency Communication and Action Plan. Although each crisis will require a unique response, the Conference USA Emergency Communication and Action Plan provides a formal structure that can be used to assess and respond to a variety of crisis situations. For specific Emergency Communication and Action Plan details, see Administrative Regulations Section. M. Game Management Official. The athletic director or designated administrator must be present at all Conference games to serve as the game management official. This individual will: 1. Handle questions, concerns or problems presented by the visiting team during the contest and is responsible for execution of game management functions; 2. Be seated near the visitors' dugout to serve as the liaison with the visiting team's coaching staff, and 3. Provide both head coaches and SID's with game-day itinerary (e.g., time the field is available, pregame warm-ups, specified sequence for television and/or radio time-outs during the game). N. Game Times. Starting times shall be set by the home institution to begin no earlier than noon and no later than 4:00 pm on Saturday and no later than 1:00 pm on Sunday. In the case of inclement weather or television, starting times may be adjusted. O. Home Team Designation. The host team will be designated home all three games of the series. P. Infield Tarp. Each institution must have an infield tarp (minimum of 120 x120 ) to cover the infield in case of inclement weather. Every precaution should be taken by the home team to avoid rainouts during Conference play. Fields should be covered ahead of time if there is any threat of inclement weather. Q. Laundry. Laundry service shall be made available for the visiting team at a fee of $40 per day. Q. Management. Administration and conduct of Conference play will be under the control and direction of the Commissioner (or an appointed representative), subject to the standards and requirements of the manual. Every two years, one head coach shall be designated as chair of the coaches' committee to advise the Conference office as called upon. The coaches committee shall meet at least once per year. R. Media. The Conference office will submit weekly releases to institutions, media outlets, NCAA, and USA Today poll representatives by midnight every Sunday during season. S. National Anthem. All Conference USA teams, including coaches and players, are to be on the field for the playing of the national anthem prior to the start of all Conference contests. T. Non-Conference Schedules. For the spring season, scheduled games should be against Division I opponents only. Teams should schedule non-conference opponents with the best RPI possible relative to the strength of their team. The goal of nonconference scheduling is minimally to have a.700 winning percentage. Exception: In the case of scheduling make up games 111

3 due to cancellation, an institution may schedule up to four non-division I opponents in order to complete its schedule, with approval from the Conference office. U. Practices. The host institution should use best efforts to accommodate the visiting team with practice time the day before and/or the day of the game (with exception of weather). The visiting team must request practice at least five days prior to that practice time. The following shall be provided at regular season practices: 1. A minimum of two pitching screens in good repair; 2. A minimum of two tees, and 3. An operating pitching machine and balls should be provided only by request of the visiting coach, if available. V. Public Address Announcer. The public address announcer is to be neutral and professional. The basic rule is to be thorough but always to underplay his/her part. The public address announcer should not be a cheerleader ; his/her actions are in an administrative capacity, and he/she represents an important role in the administration and conduct of an intercollegiate game. The following statement should be read prior to each contest: Conference USA encourages and promotes good sportsmanship by student-athletes, coaches and spectators. We request your cooperation by supporting the participants and officials in a positive manner. W. Rain-outs. Monday will serve as the designated rain date if two games are not completed. The home team must do everything possible to get in the games, but no more than two games will be played on Sunday or Monday. Saturday and Sunday games will be played under the NCAA halted game rule (Rule 6-17), unless the halted game exceeds the Conference USA policy of no more than two games on Sunday or Monday. X. Regular Season Champion. The regular season champion will be determined by the best winning percentage of all Conference games played. See the tie-breaker regulation in the Conference Championship section of the Softball Regulations. Y. Regular Season Play. Each institution shall play eight (8) three-game series during regular season Conference play. Conference play will be in divisions. Teams will play all teams in their division and three teams in the other division (will not play three opponents). The Conference series shall be a double header on Saturday and a single game on Sunday, unless otherwise agreed to by both coaches and the Conference office. Exception: Easter weekend will be played on Friday-Saturday with two games on Friday and one game on Saturday unless coaches mutually agree to change. Monday shall be used as the designated rain date if two games are not completed. Conference play should take place for nine (9) consecutive weekends prior to the tournament. Starting times shall be set by the home institution to begin no earlier than noon and no later than 4:00 pm on Saturday and no later than 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. In the case of inclement weather, starting times may be adjusted. There shall be 20 minutes between doubleheader games. Z. Replay Policy. The home institution may use its own discretion when running replays of controversial calls while adhering to all principles and standards of sportsmanship during regular season games. AA. BB. CC. DD. Rules. All Conference regular season and tournament play shall be governed by the NCAA softball rules unless otherwise stipulated by Conference regulations. A tie-breaker rule may not be used. Scouting Reports. It is strictly prohibited to provide any form of scouting report on a Conference team to any other Conference or non-conference opponent. Special Event Presentations. Special event presentations, including senior recognition (e.g., Senior Day), shall be no longer than 8 minutes and shall immediately precede the introductions. If presentations are longer than 8 minutes, they should take place at the conclusion of the game. The visiting team should be notified if special presentations are to take place. Sponsor Items within Dugout Area. As it relates to the player dugout area for each member institution, the visiting institution shall be permitted, within its dugout only, to display a sponsor s name/logo or brand name/logo on team uniforms, staff and coaches apparel, coolers, cups, squeeze bottles, towels and cooling fans (brand name only permitted). No other visual display of sponsors names/logos and advertising shall be permitted within the visiting team dugout area. If the home school has a specific facility with category exclusivity in any of the product areas listed above, it is the school s responsibility to communicate this product exclusivity to the Conference office, as well as, all visiting opponents. Where the visiting opponent is not allowed to bring their own product with them because of a sponsorship conflict, the home facility must provide the visiting institution with neutral dugout items (i.e., blank towels, cups, coolers, etc.) as needed by the visiting institution. 112

4 EE. FF. Sportsmanship. Conference USA member institutions value the principles of sportsmanship and the ideal of pursuing victory with honor in intercollegiate athletics. The Conference believes that athletics should be conducted in a way that reflects positively on the individual participants and institutions. The standards of sportsmanship in the Membership Handbook are written to emphasize the basic expectations of the Conference related to sportsmanship and provide the Commissioner with broad authority to ensure that Conference activities are consistent with these principles. For specific sportsmanship policies, see Sportsmanship Section. Squad Size. The maximum travel and home squad size is 20. No changes or deletions in this list of 20 are permitted for any reason during the three-game conference series. The failure of an institution to comply with the squad limitation (20 eligible players in uniform) will result in automatic forfeiture of the game to the opposing institution. This is not an "appeal play," further; there will be no delay of the contest to allow a competing institution to conform to the rule. GG. HH. II. JJ. KK. Statements To The Media. All coaches and players are to refrain from criticism of Conference USA, its member institutions and its officials in statements to the media. The appropriate public response to media questions regarding officiating is per conference policy, I am unable to comment. Any other response is a violation of the sportsmanship policy and is subject to penalties and fines. Statistics. All games should be scored using the StatCrew system and game files should be submitted to the conference office as soon as possible after the completion of the contest(s). The StatBroadcast real-time statistics is required as a game day media service and live stats should also be made available through GameTracker or a similar program for fans. Tied Games. There will be no tie-breaker in Conference play. Tobacco Policy. The use of tobacco products by student-athletes or game personnel (e.g., coaches, trainers, managers and game officials) is prohibited during practices and competition. Student-athletes or game personnel that use tobacco products during practice or competition shall be disqualified for the remainder of that practice or competition. Umpires. 1. Assignment. A three-person umpiring crew shall be assigned to all Conference games by the Conference office and the Coordinator of Softball Umpires (doubleheader on Saturday and single-game on Sunday). If requested, the Coordinator of Umpires can assign non-conference games as well. 2. Evaluations. Umpire evaluations are available and should be completed on the Arbiter website by all coaches after each game. 3. Hotels. The umpire is responsible for contacting the host institution 14 days in advance if hotel is needed. If the umpire cannot reach the hotel contact person at the institution, they will contact the Conference office for assistance. Umpires are not to make their own reservations. Rooms for umpires should be double occupancy when practical (e.g., same sex crew). 4. Inclement Weather. If a Sunday game is delayed due to weather, the following will occur: Umpires assigned to the game will be asked to stay late with the institution providing for additional lodging and travel expenses; If an umpire has to leave, a local umpire from the designated Conference list shall be used. If none are available, use two umpires. 5. Payment. The Conference office will issue an assessment to the institutions at the beginning of the season and be responsible for payment of umpires for Conference games. At the conclusion of the season, the Conference office will calculate all member institutions officiating expenses and each institution will play an equal amount for Conference games. 6. Security. The umpires shall leave the playing area for the umpires room immediately after the game and the host administrator shall ensure the umpires security. This may include a plan for departure and an escort to a designated area away from the playing site. 113

5 7. Substitute Umpire(s). If an umpire does not arrive for a game, immediately call the following persons: Lurline Hamilton Kelly Ninemire Coordinator of Softball Umpires Director for Sports Services Cell: (225) Office: (214) Cell: (214) lurlinehamilton@yahoo.com kninemire@c-usa.org LL. MM. Uniforms. All players must appear in the official uniform dress and colors of that institution. The home team will wear light uniforms on the first day and dark uniforms on the second day (colors must be contrasting). The Conference USA Primary mark must appear on all uniforms, including, but not limited to, the official uniform, practice gear (where feasible), warm-ups and apparel worn by coaching staffs and game management personnel, within the guidelines of NCAA rules. Visiting Team. Visiting team must contact the host institution prior to arrival in order to confirm practice and playing times, media needs (i.e., radio needs, etc.), parking, and ticket accommodations. II. CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP A. Bat Crews. Participating institutions shall be allowed to bring their own crews. It is not required for the host institution to provide crews. B. Bat Testing. Bat Testing shall be conducted prior to the start of the first game of the Conference Championship. C. Coaches' Meeting. A coaches meeting will take place at the Conference Championship to discuss pertinent championship information. Additional meetings may be called at the discretion of the chair and the Conference Liaison. D. Communications. The host institution should provide for some type of communication (telephone, walkie-talkie, etc.) between the field and press boxes. E. Competition Format. The Tournament format shall be an eight-team tournament over four days utilizing both singleelimination and double-elimination formats. The first day of the tournament will be single-elimination and day two and three will be double elimination with a single-elimination Championship game. F. Criteria for Hosting the Tournament. The host shall meet the following criteria: 1. Financial guarantee of $5, A lighted field in good condition meeting NCAA standards (lights, outfield fence) 3. Second field is recommended for practice 4. A tarp in good repair (Minimum 120 x 120 ) 5. Minimum of 5 person grounds crew at all games 6. Adequate practice facilities 7. Facility must be equipped for television and radio broadcast 8. Phone lines for media (radio, TV, webcast) 9. Hospitality area and food for officials, workers and administrators Meals, snacks, and beverages each day 10. Room and refreshments for coaches meeting 11. Program - optional (complimentary to all teams) 12. Restroom facilities (preferably permanent) 13. Photographer mandatory for championship game but suggest a photographer for duration of the Championship 14. Videotape all games 15. Provide communication (telephone, walkie-talkie, etc.) between the field and press boxes. 16. Quality championship hotel(s) nearby competition site for teams, officials, and VIPs (15 rooms per team at teams' expense) - Hotel must not be associated with any type of gaming At least one comp room for Conference use 17. Separate hotel for umpires (at Conference expense) 18. Promotion and Social Media exposure for event including securing appropriate advertising (e.g., TV, radio, and/or newspaper) 19. Laundry facility 20. A physician or certified athletic trainer at all games and practices, access to medical facility 21. A defibrillator and trained staff person available onsite 22. Room for umpires to dress and lounge with food and beverage 114

6 23. Dugout supplies (e.g., water, towels) 24. Official scorer, PA announcer and staff to manage event 25. Live stats (software, web link, and staff) 26. Sports information support and staff 27. Live video streaming and video capabilities (requires Ethernet) 28. Meet all Multi-media demands as established by the Conference office (Additional items may be required for television, in which case the Conference will contact the host.) G. Date and Site. The Conference USA tournament dates will be played Wednesday-Saturday the weekend of NCAA selections. H. Dugout Supplies. There shall be available in each dugout an adequate supply of towels, ice, cups and liquids. I. Equipment. Each team will provide all equipment needed except game softballs, which shall be provided by the Conference. J. Game Length. All games shall be seven innings except when ended by the 8-run rule. If play is stopped before a seven-inning game has been completed, it shall be resumed at the point of interruption. There will be no tie-breaker unless dictated by television. K. Game Times. To be set by the Conference office in conjunction with the host institution. Game times for the 1st round will be established to maximize attendance. L. Home Team Determination. The higher seed will be the home team for the duration of the Conference Tournament. The home team shall wear white uniforms and occupy the third base dugout. The host institution shall occupy their home dugout at all times. The home team shall take infield practice first. If only one practice field is available, the home team shall take batting practice first. M. Hospitality Room. The host institution shall provide a hospitality room for Conference softball coaches, umpires, media, and Conference representatives. N. Inability to Play Due to Unforeseen Circumstances. If in unforeseen circumstances it becomes impossible to complete a Tournament game, the highest remaining seed will advance as the Tournament champion. O. Laundry. Laundry facilities shall be provided to all teams by the host institution at a fee of $40 per day. P. Lodging. Hotel assignments for the official traveling parties of the competing teams shall be made by the Championship director. Teams must stay at the designated hotel unless approval is received from the host and Conference office. Q. Management. Administration and conduct of the tournament shall be the responsibility of the Championship director and the Conference liaison. R. Media. The host institution shall provide adequate facilities for media representatives at the tournament. All head coaches will be available for interviews and make their best efforts to cooperate with the media. S. Medical. A Physician or qualified athletic trainer will be in attendance at all games. Arrangements should be made by the Tournament Director for access to a medical facility. T. NCAA Representation. 1. The winner of the post-season tournament shall be the Conference champion and the automatic qualifier to the NCAA softball tournament (when granted). 2. At-Large Representative. The Conference office and individual institutions shall do everything possible (e.g., send statistics, write and call NCAA committee members) to lobby for at-large berths to the NCAA Tournament. U. Official Scorers. Official scorers for each game shall be provided and assigned by the host institution. V. Parking. Parking for team buses and vans, and for members of the media shall be provided by the host institution. W. Passes. Each participating institution will receive a maximum of 30 credential passes for coaches, players, and members of the official party. These passes are nontransferable. 115

7 X. Practice Times. Facilities shall be made available to all participating teams for practice on the day prior to the start of the tournament. The host institution should provide a practice coordinator for these purposes. Practices are 45 to 60 minutes in length. Practice times shall be established based on seed (i.e., lowest seed gets earliest time through highest seed getting latest time). During the remainder of the tournament, the host institution shall provide adequate practice facilities for teams. Y. Protest Procedure. Any protest by the coach of a competing team must be made at the time of action or incident that caused the protest and before play is resumed. If the game ends (legal contest) in a situation or protest, the offended team must start protest procedures immediately (within 20 seconds). All protests must be made to the umpire-in-chief. No protest shall be allowed that involves a judgment decision by an umpire. All protests must be ruled upon immediately by the Protest Committee, which shall consist of the Conference liaison, Conference Umpire Coordinator and Championship Director. Z. Radio Coverage. Participating teams shall be allowed to bring their own radio crew. Those teams that bring radio crews shall be responsible for making arrangements with the host institution prior to the tournament. AA. BB. CC. Rain Conditions. Every effort should be made to complete the championship. The Tournament Committee will control the start of games under rain conditions. 1. If rain occurs in any portion of any day, but not sufficient to cancel the entire day's schedule, the bracket will be revised to accommodate competition. 2. If rain cancels the entire day Saturday, the Tournament will be completed on Sunday. Seeding. Seeding will be determined solely by winning percentage against Conference opposition during the season. A team must play at least 14 Conference games or be seeded last in the tournament. If more than one team plays less than 14 Conference games, the tie-breaking formula will be used. Tournament seeding will be announced the Sunday before the Conference USA tournament. Squad Size. Each team will be limited to 20 eligible players in uniform to be designated prior to the tournament. Rosters of 20 eligible players will be due at the coaches meeting. After the tournament has begun, no changes may be made in a team roster for any reason. The failure of an institution to comply with the squad limitation (20 eligible players in uniform) will result in automatic forfeiture of the game to the opposing institution. This is not an "appeal play," further; there will be no delay of the contest to allow a competing institution to conform to the rule. DD. EE. Team Introductions and National Anthem. The National Anthem shall be played prior to the first game each day. On the first day of the tournament, each team will line up along their respective foul lines facing the grandstand and be introduced before their respective games. After the first day, starters only will be introduced. Tie-Breakers. If a tie-breaker is needed to determine any of the tournament teams, the following procedure will be used: a. Two-Team Tie. When there is a two-team tie, the following system will be used to break the tie. 1. The won/lost results of head-to-head Conference competition between the two tied teams. 2. If a tie continues, the won/lost percentage of the two tied teams vs. the No. 1 team (and proceeding downward, if necessary). 3. If a tie persists, it will be broken by a flip of a coin conducted by the Commissioner (or designee). b. Three-Team Tie (or more). When there is a tie involving three or more teams, the following procedure will be used: 1. The won/lost percentage of the Conference vs. Conference games played among the tied teams*. Example: If teams A, B and C are tied for second place, take A's records vs. B and C; B's record vs. A and C; and C's record vs. A and B. If the records are: A is 2-1 vs. B A is 2-1 vs. C B is 1-2 vs. A B is 1-2 vs. C C is 1-2 vs. A C is 2-1 vs. B 116

8 2. If a tie between three or more teams persists, the won/lost percentage of the tied teams vs. the teams with the highest winning percentage in Conference play (and proceeding down, if necessary) will be used. When arriving at a set of tied teams (i.e., winning percentage) while comparing records, use each team's record versus the COLLECTIVE tied teams as a group (prior to that group s own tiebreaking process). 3. If two teams still are tied, the Commissioner will flip a coin. 4. If three or more teams still are tied, the Commissioner will conduct a draw for places. *Highest winning percentage prevails even if the number of games played is unequal. For multiple team ties, the first team to win the above tie-breaker will be seeded and separated from the tied teams. Once this happens, the remaining teams will start the process again at step 1. This process will continue until all ties have been resolved. FF. GG. Training Room and Trainer. The host institution shall make its training room and staff available to all participating teams. Umpires. Umpiring assignments shall be under the direction of the Conference office. A three-person crew shall be assigned to each tournament game. III. AWARDS A. All-Academic Team. An All-Academic Team consisting of 11 players, not to be limited by position, will be selected by the Media Relations Directors for the sport of softball. Nominees must have a 3.2 cumulative GPA and be a starter or key reserve on the squad. B. All-Conference Team. There will be a first and second All-Conference Team selected. Awards shall be presented to the players selected by the coaches at the following positions: 2C, 5IF, 4OF, 3P, 1DP/UP (15 total). Upon request, voting will be made public to all conference coaches and sports information directors in an effort to create accountability in voting. C. All-Freshman Team. The team will consist of 11 players and shall not be limited by position. D. All-Tournament Team and Tournament MVP. The team will consist of 3OF, 4IF, 2P, 1C, 1DP and 1UP (12 total). Coaches will nominate two players per game from their team for each game of the Tournament for All-Tournament Team considerations. All will be selected by attending institutional and Conference SIDs and media representatives. The tournament MVP will be a member of the All-Tournament Team and selected on a separate ballot. E. Athletes of the Week. A Player of the Week and a Pitcher of the Week will be named each week during the season of competition and nominated by sports information directors or team designee and selected by the Conference office based on the following criteria established by the coaches: 1. Individual performance (based on statistical excellence); 2. Caliber of competition; 3. Team performance (based on won-lost record); 4. Selection to an all- tournament team or selection as tournament MVP, if any; 5. Degree to which the player's statistics are above average (used once a sufficient number of games are played to establish "true" averages), and 6. Additional input from SIDs through nomination forms. F. Coach of the Year. The Coach of the Year will be voted on a separate ballot. G. Freshman of the Year. The Freshman of the Year will be voted on a separate ballot. H. Newcomer of the Year. This player will be selected by separate ballot. Nominees will be any student-athlete, with at least a sophomore classification, completing their first year of competition at the institution. Student-athletes who have transferred from another C-USA institution will not be eligible. I. Pitcher of the Year. A Pitcher of the Year will be voted on a separate ballot. J. Player of the Year. A Player of the Year will be voted on a separate ballot. 117

9 K. Regular Season Champion Awards. Team and individual awards shall go to the regular season champions. L. Team Awards. The first and second place teams will receive trophies at the Championship. In all of the above awards, coaches may not vote for their own players. 118