ARTICLE I SECTION A SPORTS PROCEDURES BASEBALL BEGINNING PRACTICE/GAME DATES Pre-season scrimmages must follow ALL NAIA guidelines. The total number of games (in the fall and/or spring) cannot exceed the NAIA limitations of 55 games and 2 scrimmages. More than two scrimmages are allowed as long as the total number of games does not exceed 55 (fall and spring) and does not exceed more than 20% of the regularly scheduled varsity contests for the spring season. SECTION B SCHEDULING OF GAMES 1. All regular season conference games including cross divisional games will be 7 innings. Each team will play one doubleheader against each non-division opponent. The site for these contests will alternate each year. Each team will play a fourgame series on the weekends against all division opponents. The site for these contests will alternate each year. WEST DIVISION TEAMS Avila University Baker University Benedictine College Central Methodist University Evangel University MidAmerica Nazarene Univ. Missouri Valley College EAST DIVISION TEAMS Clarke University Culver-Stockton College Graceland University Grand View University Mount Mercy College Peru State College William Penn University 2. The weekend series may be scheduled on Friday-Saturday, Saturday-Sunday. A double-header will be played each day. 3. Games may be scheduled at sites other than the designated field of the home team. 4. Official HEART starting time for Monday through Friday contests is 1:00 PM. 1. If an institution has lights available, this time may be adjusted if both coaches and Athletic Directors agree. 2. Starting times for weekend games may adjust to serve the travel needs of any teams with the stipulation that the Athletic Directors of the involved teams are in agreement. 5. HEART member institutions that do not play contests on Sunday are Evangel University and MidAmerica Nazarene University 6. School dates are defined as days on which classes are in session. 7. A playing date is defined as competition between two institutions for a maximum of two contests. This is exclusive of tournament competition. SECTION C RESCHEDULING OF GAMES 1. Games can be rescheduled if both Athletic Directors are in agreement. 2. Rescheduling of games must follow a priority order: a. #1 Conference Opponents b. #2 Non-Conference Opponent 3. Single games and doubleheaders will follow NCAA Rule Book with the exceptions so noted in C. 4 and the NAIA Baseball Modified Rules. If the home team is ahead at the end of 4 ½ innings, the game is declared complete. 4. Rescheduling of contests due to inclement weather: a. A four-day time period will be allowed to play a weekend baseball series when the original scheduled is altered by inclement weather, unplayable field conditions or other unforeseeable circumstances. If the games cannot be played during this four-day window they will not be made up. b. The series can be either played Thursday-Sunday or Friday-Monday. If an institution misses class for travel or competition on Friday they cannot play on Monday. A decision to move the weekend series to Thursday-Sunday needs to be made by 3:00 local time on Wednesday. If a series is moved to Monday, a doubleheader must begin no later than 1:00 local time and a single game no later than 3:00 local time. If the visiting team is on spring break, then
Monday start times may be altered in order to complete the contest(s). If the weekend series in not completed in this timeframe the games will not be made up. c. If circumstances prohibit the use of a home field, every attempt shall be made to play elsewhere. The site shall determine by mutual agreement of both institutions. If the home site is switched because of inclement weather, unplayable field conditions or other unforeseeable circumstances the team who is now hosting (the original visiting team) will reimburse the team who was originally scheduled to host expenses that they had budgeted for the trip or actual expenses whichever is less. EXAMPLE Graceland is scheduled to host Benedictine. The game cannot be played at Graceland so it is switched to Benedictine. Benedictine will reimburse Graceland the amount that they had budgeted to travel to Graceland or actual expenses whichever is less. The Athletic Directors of the schools involved will determine the proper reimbursement. There is no reimbursement if both teams agree to travel to a neutral site where both teams would incur travel costs. d. The coach and game day administrator (Director of Athletics or Appointee) will be involved in all schedule changes and will notify the league office. e. Scheduled midweek games will be made up if the team did not make the trip to the opposing school. If the trip was made and the game is subsequently cancelled the game will not be made up. f. Postponed games during a 4-game division series: i. Game #1 if not completed, it will be declared a suspended game and will be continued at the next ii. Game #2 if not completed, it will be declared a suspended game and will be continued at the next iii. f. Game #3 if not completed, it will be declared a suspended game and will be continued at the next iv. g. Game #4 if not completed, it will follow Official Baseball Rules and be declared a complete contest if the home team is ahead after 4 ½ innings. If the contest does not get to 4 ½ innings, the game can be continued that weekend if allowable under the make-up policy. 5. The host institution should contact the umpire arbiter to confirm umpires for suspended games. SECTION D SECTION E GAME ADMINISTRATION The home institution should notify the visiting team of the pre-game schedule. OFFICIAL CONFERENCE EQUIPMENT Rawlings NAIA baseballs will be used. Only certified bats may be used in all games played by member institutions. SECTION F ALL- CONFERENCE TEAM 1. The ALL-CONFERENCE Team is selected at the annual spring meeting. This meeting will be conducted on the day preceding the Post-Season Conference Tournament. 2. Statistics from ALL contests against NAIA opponents should be considered. a) The following information MUST be provided at the meeting for players to be considered for ALL-CONFERENCE: b) Coaches are required to submit DANSTATS at the meeting to the baseball chair: 1. hitting statistics 2. on-base percentage 3. slugging percentage 4. fielding percentage 5. all pitching statistics 3. Ballots will be used for all voting procedures. One vote per school at the meeting ONLY the Head Baseball Coach can vote.
4. Coaches will select FIRST TEAM, SECOND TEAM, AND HONORABLE MENTION players based on the following formula: Position First Team Second Team Honorable Mention 1B 1 1 2 2B 1 1 2 3B 1 1 2 SS 1 1 2 EI 1 1 2 C 2 2 2 OF 4 4 4 DH 1 1 2 P 4 4 4 RP 1 1 1 Player of The Year 1 Pitcher of the Year 1 Coach of the Year 1 5. Rawlings GOLDEN GLOVE AWARD for each defensive position. 6. All FIRST TEAM selections will receive an all-conference certificate. 7. The Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year and Coach of the Year will be recognized SECTION G CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM AWARDS 1. The team who wins the Regular Season with the best overall win/loss % against all Conference opponents will be declared the HEART CHAMPION and will receive the HEART Championship Banner. 2. National Championship Conference Berth Allocation: a. 1 st berth Conference tournament champion b. 2 nd berth Conference tournament runner-up 3. In the event that the qualifying event for the NAIA Post-season Championship competition cannot be completed, the representative will be taken from the remaining teams in the tournament based on highest regular season conference winning percentage. 4. If there is a tie, the following criteria will be applied in sequential order: a. Head to Head competition b. Record versus the 7 other teams that qualified for the conference tournament. c. Win/loss % of ALL NAIA contests. SECTION H CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT QUALIFICATION 1. 10 teams qualify. Five (5) teams from each division. 2. Single elimination play in game between #4 North vs #5 South and #4 South vs #5 North. 3. Winners of these games will be seeded 7 and 8 and advance to the double elimination phase of the tournament. 4. The 7th and 8th seeds will be determined by the current tie-breaker formula. 5. Seeding for the tournament will apply the following format: i. (1v8 game) Regular Season Champion vs 8 th qualifier ii. (2v7 game) Winner of non-league Champion Division vs 7 th qualifier iii. (3v6 game) 3 rd qualifier vs 6 th qualifier
iv. (4v5 game) 4 th qualifier vs 5 th qualifier 6. If there is a tie, the following criteria will be applied in sequential order: a. HEAD to HEAD competition there is no head to head in a tie involving more than two teams b. Division Record c. Record versus the other teams that qualified for the Conference Tournament d. win/loss % of ALL NAIA contests e. Coin Flip 7. MONDAY, April 30, 2018 is the deadline for all regular season conference games to be completed. 8. The dates for the Conference Championship Tournament will be: a. Wednesday, May 2nd thru Tuesday, May 8th, 2018. Sunday, May 6th and Wednesday, May 9th, 2018 will be used as rain dates. b. The Tournament MUST be completed by the end of the day, Wednesday, May 9 th, 2018 as the NAIA deadline for conference championships is Wednesday, May9 th, 2018. 9. Site for the tournament: Ozarks, MO SECTION H OFFICIAL UMPIRES 1. Member institutions shall compensate the umpire assignor the cost of one 7 inning game doubleheader for the services. The Conference Commissioner will send an invoice to the Athletic Director of each member institution. 2. Umpire Rates: a. $205 7 inning doubleheader b. $215 7/9 doubleheader c. $125 single 9 inning game 3. The HEART Post-Season Tournament is will pay umpires $140 per game. 4. Payment of umpires for all conference scheduled contests: a. If the umpires are contacted prior to their departure and do not travel to the game site, they will receive no compensation. b. If the umpires travel to the game site and the games are not played due to inclement weather, they will be compensated a minimum of one game. c. Umpires who travel for conference weekend series will be provided lodging as part of their compensation as long as they are the same two umpires for both days contests. d. If the second day of a Conference Series is cancelled due to inclement weather, they will not receive compensation for the second day. 5. All umpires must be approved by the Conference Arbiter and the Supervisor of Officials. 6. The Umpire-in-Chief has issued a tobacco warning that is already in effect for each game. It is an NAIA and HEART violation to use tobacco in any form during a scheduled contest. a. Any offense noted after that carries an immediate ejection from the game. This applies to all game personnel (coaches, players, statisticians, umpires, administrators). 7. The umpire arbiter will coordinate the assignment of umpires for the HEART Post-Season Tournament. Three umpires will work each game of the HEART Post-Season Tournament except for the Semi-Final and Final Game. Four Umpires will work the Semi- Final and Final Game of the HEART Post-Season Tournament.
a. The list will be approved by the HEART Supervisor of Officials. SECTION I RATERS 1. The HEART will elect a rater every two years and nominate that individual to the NAIA as a National Rater: 2. SPRING 2017 NAIA/HEART National Rater Nathan Breland, Central Methodist University 3. A three-member committee selected by the HEART Baseball Coaches Association will assist the rater with the process. a. West Division Ryan Thompson, Mid-America Nazarene University b. East Division Kevin Kocks, Culver Stockton College