“Tennessee High School Baseball Ends on a Sour Note After Pitch Count Controversy” , A Tennessee high school Division II-AA three-game playoff series was thrust into the national spotlight after Ensworth pitcher Connor Cobb threw a no-hitter to tie the series with Father Ryan at 1-1.
While you’d expect the hype to center on Vanderbilt’s masterpiece commitment, that’s not the case. Instead, it was Cobb’s final shot – No. 121 on the day – it caused a stir.
Long story short: it was one pitch too many under TSSAA rules.
Per TSSAA rulebookthe pitch count rule allows an athlete to throw no more than 120 pitches in a day.
Ensworth coach Jason Maxwell called the association the next day and reported the violation, which resulted in the streak being forfeited and a shocking end to the season.
Like Tennessaon’s Tom Krieger reportedit seems that this phenomenon – although strange – is not unusual:
[Gene] Menees reiterated that the TSSAA rule is 120 pitches and has been “as long as there’s been a pitch count rule.” Menees said that in the first year of the rule, pitchers were allowed to finish batters at the plate. That changed after a year. The pitch count rule began in 2017.
Menees said the TSSAA sees pitch count violations sent to the Hermitage office every year. He said it’s more common in the playoffs.
Father Ryan now advances to the Middle Region round where they will play Lipscomb Academy.