57-688: The Buster Posey Award , formerly known as the Johnny Bench Award , was created in 2000 to honor college baseball 's top catcher in the National Collegiate Athletic Association 's Division I . The award is administered by the Wichita Sports Commission and presented after the conclusion of the College World Series . Originally named for Johnny Bench , it was renamed in 2019 after Johnny Bench announced
114-429: A single-elimination tournament , in which only one defeat results in elimination. One method of arranging a double-elimination tournament is to break the competitors into two sets of brackets , the winners' bracket and losers' bracket ( W and L brackets for short; also referred to as championship bracket and elimination bracket , upper bracket and lower bracket , or main bracket and repechage ) after
171-467: A Division I baseball player is between November 8 and 15; the late signing period dates for these players are April 11 to August 1. The substance policies for college baseball are very strict and set by the NCAA. There is a set list of substances a college baseball player is forbidden to put in his body, and there is severe punishment for those that defy it, whether it would be intentional or unintentional. There
228-692: A best-of-three series. The eight winners then advance to the MCWS, a double-elimination tournament (actually two separate four-team brackets) to determine the two national finalists. The finalists play a best-of-three series to determine the Division I national champion. The most recent Men's College World Series winner is Tennessee . The first intercollegiate baseball game took place in Pittsfield, Massachusetts , on July 1, 1859, between squads representing Amherst College and Williams College . Amherst won, 73–32. This game
285-453: A competitor to lose (perhaps multiple times) while still remaining eligible to win the tournament. Of course, having multiple games in each series also requires considerably more games to be conducted. It is also susceptible to bad seeding. Another is the modified single-elimination tournament which guarantees at least two games per competitor, but not necessarily two losses for elimination. The brackets are similar to double-elimination, except
342-414: A modified double elimination bracket, combined with a preliminary group stage. Double-elimination brackets are also popular in amateur wrestling of all levels, whereas in professional wrestling, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) were the only professional wrestling promotions to date to use the double-elimination format. WCW used the format for a tournament for
399-463: A particular player will vary individually.) The NCAA Division I baseball and softball tournaments make heavy use of the double-elimination format. In both tournaments' regional stages, four teams contest each regional in a double-elimination bracket and the survivor advances to the best-of-three super regionals. The format recurs in both the Men's and Women's College World Series (MCWS and WCWS), where
456-411: A seeded draw. Double elimination overcomes this shortfall by allowing a strong team which loses early to work their way through the L bracket and progress to the later rounds, despite meeting the strongest team in the early rounds of competition. Another advantage of the double-elimination format is the fact that all competitors will play at least twice and three quarters will play three games or more. In
513-451: A single-elimination tournament with no byes , half of the competitors will be eliminated after their first game. This can be disappointing to those who had to travel to the tournament and were only able to play once. A disadvantage compared to the single-elimination format is that at least twice the number of matches have to be conducted. Since each competitor has to lose twice and since the tournament ends when only one competitor remains, in
570-488: A team has one loss, or no losses, that team would be eliminated with a loss in either the U.S. or international championship game. The two respective champions then play a single elimination game for the World Series championship. Many esports competitions, such as The International use a variation on the double-elimination format where, after the initial group stage, the first round of the L bracket begins pre-seeded with
627-415: A tournament for n competitors there will be either 2 n − 2 or 2 n − 1 games depending on whether or not the winner was undefeated during the tournament. This may result in a scheduling hardship for venues where only one facility for play is available. However, the number of matches is still lower than what is required by a Swiss-system tournament or round-robin tournament . If
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#1732854899367684-792: A wood bat. As a result, in 2011 there was a drop-off in overall "long" drives or home runs relative to past years. All players resident in the U.S. and its territories, plus Canada, are eligible to be selected in Major League Baseball's Rule 4 Draft upon graduating from high school. However, once a player enrolls in a four-year college or university, he is not allowed to be drafted (or re-drafted) until completing three years of school or reaching age 21, whichever comes first. By contrast, players who enroll in junior colleges (i.e., two-year institutions) are eligible for selection at any time. The Rule 4 Draft of eligible college and high school players consists of 20 rounds, most recently reduced from 40 after
741-440: Is a very long list of these substances, including alcohol, marijuana, anabolic steroids, and heroin, to name just a few. These substances fit into categories such as stimulants, anabolic steroids, diuretics, street drugs, hormones, anti-estrogens, and more. Failure to pass scheduled or random drug tests can result in ineligibility. After losing its license for Major League Baseball , EA Sports released MVP 06: NCAA Baseball ,
798-809: Is also used in table football tournaments. In contract bridge , the English Bridge Union Spring Foursomes, first contested in 1962, uses a double-elimination format. It is also used, in modified form, in the All-Ireland Senior Gaelic Football Championship and All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship . It is also used largely in Esport competitions such as Counter-Strike , League of Legends , Dota 2 , Street Fighter V , Rocket League and numerous others. Four-team or four-player groups using double elimination are called "GSL-style groups" in reference to
855-413: Is classified by the NCAA as an "equivalency" sport, meaning that limits on athletic financial aid are set to the equivalent of a fixed number of full scholarships. Division I schools are allowed the equivalent of 11.7 full scholarships; Division II schools, only 9.0. Schools generally choose to award multiple partial scholarships rather than exclusively full scholarships. In Division I, the NCAA also limits
912-401: Is generally faster than off a wood bat. Those against metal, and for wood, argue that a metal bat is not safe to use, and that a metal bat does not prepare players for the next level, as professional baseball uses a wood bat exclusively. In the 2011 season the NCAA changed the requirements for a metal bat, reducing the maximum allowed exit speed in a way that is said to produce a feeling more like
969-605: Is governed by the All Japan University Baseball Federation [ ja ] (JUBF). In comparison to American football and basketball , college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional players, as Minor League Baseball tends to be more extensive, with a greater history of supplying players from the high school level to Major League Baseball (MLB). But many amateur baseball players may choose college, for
1026-701: Is played under the auspices of either the NCAA , the NAIA , the NJCAA , the CCCAA , or the NWAC . The NCAA writes the rules of play, while each sanctioning body supervises season-ending tournaments . The final rounds of the NCAA Division I tournament is known as the Men's College World Series (MCWS); while each of the three levels of competition sanctioned by the NCAA holds a championship tournament,
1083-473: Is similar to that of the Major League Draft in that a high school athlete is taking the next step in his career. The NCAA places restrictions on the coaches that are trying to convince athletes to come play for them and attend their university. College baseball programs are only allowed to offer a limited number of scholarships each year, so the process of earning a scholarship is quite competitive. Baseball
1140-413: Is usually set up to be a possible two games, with the second referred to as the "if game". In this structure, the L bracket finalist needs to win both games of the final round to be the tournament champion, while the W bracket finalist wins the tournament by winning either game of the final round. If the final round is scheduled as only a single game, as in the 2018 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship ,
1197-518: The Global StarCraft II League in Korea, which historically has used such a group format. The FIRST Robotics Competition began using the double-elimination bracket starting with the 2023 season. In judo , players that end up in the L bracket can finish in third place at best. The winner of the W bracket will win the tournament, with the losing finalist finishing second. The other losers of
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#17328548993671254-467: The Official Baseball Rules . Exceptions include the following: Though a wood bat is legal in NCAA competition, players overwhelmingly prefer and use a metal bat. The metal bat was implemented in college baseball in 1975. Use of a metal bat is somewhat controversial. Supporters of an aluminum or composite bat note that it can increase offensive performance, as the speed of a ball off a metal bat
1311-576: The "Men's College World Series" branding is reserved strictly for the final round of the Division I tournament. The MCWS takes place in Omaha, Nebraska in June, following the regular season. The playoff bracket for Division I consists of 64 teams, with four teams playing at each of 16 regional sites (in a double-elimination format ). The 16 winners advance to the Super Regionals at eight sites, played head-to-head in
1368-432: The "no agent rule" as a result of this, claiming it was to benefit the amateur athletes. The rule states that "[a]n individual shall be ineligible for participation in an intercollegiate sport if he or she has agreed (orally or in writing) to be represented by an agent for the purpose of marketing his or her athletics ability or reputation in that sport". Representation of an agent is considered to be any direct contact with
1425-527: The 1890s as multi-sport conferences. The first tournament to name a national champion was held at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, resulting in Yale being crowned champion. No other such tournament was held until the first College World Series in 1947 . Traditionally, college baseball has been played in the early part of the year, with a relatively short schedule and during a time when cold (and/or rainy) weather hinders
1482-467: The 2019 edition. Despite MLB's draft being considerably longer than that of the NFL or NBA, only about 9.1% of all NCAA senior baseball players are drafted by an MLB team. One of the biggest controversies with the draft and these amateur athletes is the use of agents . There have been many cases of college athletes consulting or hiring an agent prematurely in direct violation of NCAA rules. The NCAA came up with
1539-523: The 25% limit, as long as it also is included in the calculations for the team equivalency limit. Before September 1 of a potential college player's 11th grade year, it is illegal for a college program to give any kind of recruiting materials to the prospect. A phone call is not even permitted to the prospect until July 1 of the student's 11th grade year. Once the player is committed to the school of his choice, he must sign his letter of intent during one of several signing periods. The early signing period for
1596-788: The Civil War, first in the northeastern United States but quickly throughout the country. By the late 1870s, several northeastern schools were playing regular home and home series. The team with the best record claimed a "National Championship." Arguments over professional and graduate players led to the creation of the American College Base Ball Association in late 1879, consisting of six northeastern schools which sought to govern such issues and organize games. This organization lasted until 1887, when it dissolved in acrimony and waves of realignment. The Western Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association were formed in
1653-425: The L bracket if the player they lost to wins their match of the second round. If a player loses to a second round loser, they are eliminated from the tournament. Another variant, called the (third-place) challenge , is used, particularly in scholastic wrestling. The winner of the L bracket may challenge the loser of the finals in the W bracket, if and only if the two contestants had not faced each other previously; if
1710-400: The L bracket is conducted in two stages: a minor stage followed by a major stage. Both contain the same number of matches (assuming there are no byes) which is the same again as the number of matches in the corresponding round of the W bracket. If the minor stage of an L bracket round contains N matches, it will produce N winners. Meanwhile, the N matches in the corresponding round of
1767-444: The W bracket finalist will be eliminated from the tournament if they lose this match, meaning the tournament is not truly a double-elimination tournament. The double-elimination format has some advantages over the single-elimination format, most notably the fact that third and fourth places can be determined without the use of a consolation or "classification" match involving two contestants who have already been eliminated from winning
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1824-413: The W bracket will end up in the L bracket, which will only be played to the minor stage of the final, resulting in two players placed third. Thus, compared to double elimination, there is no major stage of the L bracket final played, and there is no game between the winners of the W and L brackets. Another aspect of the system used in judo is that losers of the first round (of the W bracket) only advance to
1881-402: The W bracket will produce N losers. These 2 N competitors will then pair off in the N matches of the corresponding major stage of the L bracket. For example, in an eight-competitor double-elimination tournament, the four losers of the first round, W bracket quarter finals, pair off in the first stage of the L bracket, the L bracket minor semifinals. The two losers are eliminated, while
1938-410: The ability for games to be played, particularly in the northern and midwestern parts of the U.S. These and other factors have historically led colleges and universities across the nation to effectively consider baseball a minor sport, both in scholarships as well as money and other points of emphasis. College baseball's popularity has increased greatly since the 1980s. As increased efforts to popularize
1995-541: The challenger (the winner of the L bracket) wins, they are awarded second place, and the loser of the W final is dropped to third place. This system is used particularly where the top two places advance to a higher level of competition (example: advancement from a regional tournament to a state tournament). Another is the balanced variant which is a bracket arrangement that is not strictly divided into two brackets based on number of losses. Players with different numbers of losses can play each other in any round. A goal of
2052-442: The championship final has two matches scheduled (as typical of a double-elimination tournament), should the winners' bracket winner defeat the losers' bracket winner, the tournament ends. It is therefore unknown, until this match has been concluded, whether the second scheduled match will in fact be required. This can also be seen as a disadvantage of the system, particularly if broadcasting and ticket sales companies have an interest in
2109-405: The championship. Some tournaments, such as in tennis, will use " seeding " to prevent the strongest contestants from meeting until the later round. However, in tournaments where contestants are placed randomly in the draw, or in situations where seeding is not available, it is possible for two of the strongest teams to meet in the early rounds rather than a final or semifinal as would be expected in
2166-418: The creation of his own national award for amateur catchers. The commission reviewed the statistics of the prior winners and unanimously chose to rename the award after Buster Posey . Schools nominate their catchers during the season to create the official watch list. A select committee of 20 individuals narrows the watch list down to the semifinalists. Two rounds of voting by Division I head coaches determine
2223-457: The field of 8 teams is divided into two double-elimination brackets and the survivor of each bracket advances to the best-of-three championship series. While the two brackets remain completely separate in the MCWS, there is a crossover feature in the WCWS, by which the loser of the second-round game in each bracket moves to the opposite bracket to play an elimination game. This format means that any two of
2280-431: The first college baseball video game . A second game, MVP 07: NCAA Baseball , was also released before the series was discontinued due to low sales. Double-elimination tournament A double-elimination tournament is a type of elimination tournament competition in which a participant ceases to be eligible to win the tournament 's championship upon having lost two games or matches. It stands in contrast to
2337-446: The first round. The first-round winners proceed into the W bracket and the losers proceed into the L bracket. The W bracket is conducted in the same manner as a single-elimination tournament, except that the losers of each round "drop down" into the L bracket. Another method of double-elimination tournament management is the Draw and Process . As with single-elimination tournaments, most often
Buster Posey Award - Misplaced Pages Continue
2394-428: The lower-performing teams from said stage, rather than all teams starting in the W bracket. Additionally, the finals are a single series regardless of winner, without any chance of a bracket reset if the L bracket winner wins the series. Much of this is due to time concerns, with some esports games taking upwards of an hour per match in a series, and the schedule not allowing for the additional time costs of scheduling like
2451-536: The most recent NCAA regular season , 301 teams competed at the Division I level in the United States, with top teams progressing through the regular season, various conference tournaments and championship series, and the 2024 NCAA Division I baseball tournament to play for the Division I championship in the 2024 Men's College World Series . As with most other U.S. intercollegiate sports, competitive college baseball
2508-408: The number of competitors is equal to a power of two (8, 16, 32, etc.) so that in each round there is an even number of competitors and never any byes . The number of games in a double-elimination tournament is one or two less than twice the number of teams participating (e.g. 8 teams would see 14 or 15 games). If the standard double-elimination bracket arrangement is being used, then each round of
2565-496: The participating teams can advance to the championship series, which the current MCWS format does not allow. The Little League World Series switched from round-robin to double-elimination formats for each of its pools starting in 2010 in an effort to eliminate meaningless games. The World Baseball Classic used a double-elimination format for its second rounds of the tournament in 2009 and 2013 , as well as in its first round in 2009. The 2020 Olympic baseball event also used
2622-567: The professional team during the contract negotiations. This contact can be made many different ways, whether through direct conversation, via mail or through the telephone. This rule is strongly enforced by the NCAA and has harsh consequences if broken. Recent changes to NCAA rules regarding compensation to college athletes for the use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL) have clarified that players can sign with agents to negotiate endorsement deals without loss of eligibility, though not for negotiating with professional teams. The recruitment process
2679-439: The sake of physical preparation and a softer transition from the high school level to the minor leagues. If players opt to enroll at a four-year college, they must complete three years of college to regain professional eligibility, or have turned at least age 21 before starting their third year of college. Players who enroll at junior colleges (i.e., two-year institutions) regain eligibility after one year at that level. During
2736-438: The same outcome. The differences in the number of matches for a given stage of a double-elimination tournament, especially in the later stages, could result in an uneven level of preparation or energy between competitors; a player in the winners' bracket may have a long wait between matches, while losers' bracket players have to play multiple games in a comparatively short timeframe. (Whether either situation will be an advantage for
2793-507: The sport resulted in better players and overall programs, more television and print media coverage began to emerge. The ESPN family of networks have greatly increased television coverage of the NCAA playoffs and the College World Series since 2003. For 2008 and succeeding seasons, the NCAA mandated the first ever start date for Division I baseball, thirteen weeks before the selection of the NCAA tournament field, which takes place on Memorial Day. The rules of college baseball are similar to
2850-520: The three finalists and eventual recipient of the Buster Posey Award. The current holder of the award is Walker Janek . College baseball NAIA : JUBF College baseball is baseball that is played by student-athletes at institutions of higher education . In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, it
2907-643: The total number of players receiving baseball-related financial aid to 27, and also requires that each of these players receive athletic aid equal to at least 25% of a full scholarship. The 25% rule does not apply to schools that offer aid based solely on financial need (most notably Ivy League members), and also does not apply to a player in his final year of athletic eligibility who has not previously received athletically related aid in baseball at any college. A long-standing official NCAA rules interpretation also allows schools to count aid that would otherwise be exempt by NCAA rule (such as purely academic awards) toward
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#17328548993672964-445: The tournament. Another disadvantage of the double-elimination format is the fact that some games are played by competitors that have completed an unequal number of matches so far in the tournament. For example, in a tournament with sixteen players, one needs to win four games to qualify for the final through the winners' bracket, whereas the finalist from the losers' bracket could have played anywhere between five and seven games to reach
3021-464: The two finalists from the L bracket (each with one loss) face the two finalists from the W bracket (neither with a loss) in a single elimination semi-final and final. The Little League World Series began using a modified double-elimination bracket in 2011. Eight U.S. teams and eight international teams compete in respective double elimination formats until their respective championship games, which are single elimination. That is, irrespective of whether
3078-427: The two winners proceed to the L bracket major semifinals. Here, those two players/teams will each compete against a loser of the W bracket semifinal in the L bracket major semifinals. The winners of the L bracket major semifinals compete against each other in the L bracket minor-final, with the winner playing the loser of the W bracket final in the L bracket major final. The final round of a double-elimination tournament
3135-538: The vacant WCW World Tag Team Championship in 1999. On the June 26, 2002, weekly Asylum PPV , TNA used a double-elimination match to determine the TNA X Championship in a four-way match featuring AJ Styles , Jerry Lynn , Low Ki , and Psicosis . Pool , surfing , windsurfing and kiteboarding freestyle competitions, as well as Curling bonspiels (where triple-elimination is also used), Hardcourt Bike Polo are all known to sometimes use double-elimination formats. It
3192-433: The variant is that no player sits idle for more than one round consecutively. The added complexity of the brackets is handled by using "if necessary" matches. The flexible approach allows practical bracket designs to be made for any number of competitors including odd numbers (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, etc.). A possible alternative is a single-elimination format where each match is a best-of-5-or-more series. This format still allows
3249-882: Was one of the last played under an earlier version of the game known as " Massachusetts rules ", which prevailed in New England until the " Knickerbocker Rules " (or "New York Rules") developed in the 1840s gradually became accepted. The first ever nine-man team college baseball game under the Knickerbocker Rules still in use today was played in New York on November 3, 1859, between the Fordham Rose Hill Baseball Club of St. John's College (now Fordham University ) against The College of St. Francis Xavier, now known as Xavier High School . Students at many colleges began organizing games between colleges, particularly after
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