The National Federation of State High School Associations approved four rules changes from the softball committee at its June meeting in Indianapolis.

Rule 3-2-15 states that all equipment must be inspected by the umpire and is to be put outside the dugout/bench prior to the start of games. The committee agreed that placing all equipment in one location at one time is a more efficient method for inspections.

In Rule 3-2-1, the committee added inclement weather as an exception to the uniform rule for state associations.

The committee also approved new language to Rule 3-2-7 to reinforce the solid color undergarments requirements.

“We felt if was important to standardize the colors of the undergarments not only to reinforce the solid color requirements similar to other NFHS sport rules, but also because it can be a distraction and create a possible safety concern,” said Sandy Search, NFHS director of sports and staff liaison for softball.

In Rule 3-6-7, which states players and substitutes cannot enter the game unreported. The penalty was revised to state the head coach is restricted to the dugout/bench for the remainder of the game only for a second violation.

The committee also revised Rule 1-5-2c by eliminating the description of the taper’s surface. The change brings the federation in line with other rules codes concerning the same issue.

The Class 3A/2A/1A West Central District softball tournaments at Sprinker Fields in Spanaway have been postponed until Monday due to rain.

The Class 4A West Central District tourney at Kent Service Club Ballfields was also postponed, but that tournament is slated to resume Sunday. South Kitsap, which survived after beating Olympia 15-5 in a loser-out game on Friday, will play Tahoma Sunday at 11 a.m. If SK wins, the Wolves will play a winner-to-state, loser-out game at 2 p.m. A coin flip would decide the fifth/sixth seeds.

Tournament officials at the 3A/2A/1A spoke with coaches at about 8:30 Saturday morning to inform them games would be played Sunday with an hour later start time. However, that was changed hours later when it appeared the weather will not cooperate Sunday. The forecast for Monday in Spanaway is for clouds with only a 20 percent chance of rain and a high of 63 degrees.

Games that will be played are elimination games only. Teams that have already secured state berths are now seeded into their respective state tournaments. In 2A, Port Angeles is the second seed.

All Kitsap teams are facing elimination. Central Kitsap plays Capital in 3A at 11 a.m. If the Cougars win they would play at 1 p.m. in another loser-out game and then 3 p.m. for the fifth-seed/loser out. Seeded teams are No. 1 Enumclaw, No. 2 Columbia River, No. 3 Auburn Mountainview and No. 4 Prairie.

In 2A, Olympic plays at 11 a.m. against Orting while North Kitsap and Kingston play at 1 p.m. Sequim also plays at 11 a.m. against Steilacoom. Winning teams advance to a winner-to-state, loser-out games at 3 p.m.  A coin flip will determine the fifth/sixth seeds. Seeded teams are No. 1 Fife, No. 2 PA, No. 3 White River, No. 4 Forest Ridge/Bear Creek.

In 1A, Klahowya plays Chimacum at 1 p.m. in a winner-to-state, loser-out game for the No. 3 seed. Seattle Christian is the No. 1 seed, followed by Bellevue Christian at No. 2.

The WCD has updated brackets for 3A, 2A and 1A here.

North Kitsap and Olympic will play Class 2A West Central District baseball tournament games on Wednesday.

Those games have been moved to the Fairgrounds.

Olympic will play Highline at 4 p.m. North Kitsap will play Port Angeles at 7 p.m.

The winners of these games will play Saturday morning in a winner-to-state, loser-out game in Tacoma.

You can see the updated bracket here.

It was announced on Twitter earlier this week:

Welcome to #RangerNation Jumier Johnson from @TheOlyAthletics!! Jumier will play basketball for the Rangers. #GoOC pic.twitter.com/lfcyQCrwqQ

— OlympicCollegeRanger (@fOCus_Athletics) May 3, 2016

Olympic High School graduate Bryan Thoemke is the new boys basketball coach at Klahowya.

Thoemke replaces Dave Kerkhoff, who fell ill during his first season coaching the Eagles and took a leave of absence. Klahowya athletic director Todd Winters finished the season coaching the team, which went 1-19.

Thoemke is a familiar name in West Sound coaching history. Howard Thoemke led Olympic’s boys basketball team to a state title in 1983. He also coached at Central Kitsap, North Kitsap and North Mason.

You can find that here.

The Central Kitsap and Olympic tennis teams stopped playing there recently as the court’s surface was unsafe.

The Central Kitsap and Olympic girls tennis teams were designated homeless on Friday.

That’s when athletic directors Bill Baxter (CK) and Nate Andrews (Oly) declared the county-owned tennis court adjacent to Olympic High School unsafe to play on.

The tipping point came Thursday as Bellarmine Prep refused to come to East Bremerton to play CK, Andrews said.

“We’re not going out there until the county and the district does it right,” Andrews said.

The biggest issue with the court — besides ripped nets and cracked surfaces — is the court hasn’t been properly pressure washed and the surface is slick.

CK and Oly will use Lions Park and the Kitsap Tennis & Athletic Club. All matches will have to be played away until the court is fixed.

Though the court is county owned, the district is allowed to do maintenance on it.

Andrews said the court is due to be resurfaced this summer. First several trees around court have to be removed so it’s not in constant shade.

Today I wrote a column about the construction at Gene Lobe Field at the Fairgrounds making it impossible for Olympic’s baseball team to play at home until the third week of April.

Spoke with Central Kitsap baseball coach Bill Baxter tonight after his team beat Bellarmine Prep on the road and he said the Cougars’ home field is so flooded, he doesn’t anticipate playing at home until after spring break.

“We have not been on the field yet,” said Baxter, whose team has been practicing inside the school’s gymnasium.

Talk about a competitive disadvantage for Central Kitsap, the defending Narrows League 3A league champions who placed third at state last season.

“It’s not fair,” Baxter said.

There is potential with the recent levy approval that Central Kitsap could get a turf baseball on campus within the next two or three years. But nothing is set in stone.

The Olympic Trojans will play a baseball game at Safeco Field for the sixth consecutive year when they play West Seattle on April 16.
Buying tickets to the event helps support the program.
Details are here.

North Kitsap senior guard Cole Rabedeaux was named the Class 2A All-Olympic League MVP on Tuesday.

Rabedeaux, a 6-foot-1 senior, averaged 22.4 points per game and helped the Vikings earn a spot at regionals. North Kitsap coach Scott Orness was named the coach of the year. The Sequim Wolves won the sportsmanship award.

In 1A, Port Townsend’s Detrius Kelsall, a 6-0 sophomore guard/forward, was tabbed as the MVP while the sportsmanship award went to Klahowya. Chimacum coach Jim Eldridge was named the coach of the year.

All-Olympic League 2A

MVP—Cole Rabedeaux, North Kitsap

Coach of the year—Scott Orness, North Kitsap

Sportsmanship award—Sequim Wolves

First team—Jumier Johnson, sr., F, Olympic; Lambros Rogers, sr., F, Port Angeles; Atyus Powell, sr., G, Bremerton; Liam Young, jr. G, Kingston; Jaiden Mosley, so., G, Olympic.

Second team—Joshua Benson, sr., G, North Kitsap; Tyler Yost, jr., F, Olympic; Japrea Pedesclaux, jr., G, Bremerton; Zac Olmstead, so., G, North Kitsap; Gabe Gregory, jr., G, Kingston.

All-Olympic League 1A

MVP—Detrius Kelsall, Port Townsend

Coach of the year—Jim Eldridge, Chimacum

Sportsmanship award—Klahowya Eagles

First team—James Porter, sr., F, Chimacum; Payton Ryen, sr., G, Klahowya; Kaiden Parcher, so., F, Port Townsend; Jacob Ralls, sr., G, Port Townsend; Christopher Bainbridge, sr., G, Chimacum; Wiley Hesselgrave, sr., G, Coupeville; Matthew Koenig, sr., G, Chimacum.