Two DRS teams may be reclassified

A few changes could be in the works for the Dakota-Rice- Scott League baseball next summer as the Minnesota Baseball Association has changed its criteria for classification of teams.

Currently 12 of the 13 teams in the league are classified as Class C teams and one (Elko) is Class B. The association is implementing a points system to classify teams, based on population of the community, the number of players with collegiate and professional experience on their roster from outside the community, and success in the state tournament over the past five years.

Under the new system two DRS teams - New Market and Faribault, would find themselves listed as Class B teams. Teams will have the opportunity to both appeal the placement and also to alter their rosters prior to final placement. Both teams plan to appeal, and DRS President Mike Sticha reports that there may have been some administrative errors with the points system made by the state which would reclassify both teams as Class C. Should either of those teams move up to Class B, Sticha said the league schedule would be altered so that they would only play league teams once on the schedule - something that is already done with Elko.

Other Minnesota amateur baseball teams potentially affected by the reclassification are Rochester, Luxemburg, Sobieski, Cologne, Hutchinson, Sartell Muskies, Plato, Green Isle and Nowthen.

Sticha said Minnesota Baseball will review rosters and make any decisions on appeals at a November 17 meeting. He added that if a team were to add a player prior to or during the season that would affect their point total, that team could be moved up to Class B.

The League held its fall meeting on Monday, Nov. 5. Also at that meeting, it was decided to not play the annual all-star game with the River Valley League in 2019, due to a condensed schedule. In 2019 the Easter holiday falls onto the weekend that would normally be opening weekend for the league, and they are shortening their schedule from 13 to 12 weeks this year. Sticha said a decision on whether to resume the all-star game in 2020 would be made after the 2019 season.