Local Baseball Update

The South Dakota Amateur Baseball Association announced that leagues around the state can begin league play on Sunday, May 31st. SDABA President Dan Weber mentioned some safety measures: Players are permitted to stand outside the dugout, umpires can work from either behind the plate or from behind the mound, players are encouraged to wear batting gloves and not share equipment, no post-game handshakes and fans will be encouraged to wear masks.

For whatever reason, teams are allowed to have non-league games before that start date and some Cornbelt teams have taken advantage of said opportunity. Cornbelt League games will start during the first week of June.

Legion baseball in South Dakota continues to discuss options for the summer. It is likely they will have a season, but will not be sponsored by the National American Legion Organization. New jerseys or taking off the Legion Patches are options and leagues that are younger than Legion ball are set up to be run independently. There will also likely be a series of guidelines to follow in practicing social distancing for players and fans alike.