Sports Digest

Rhinelander’s Jaxon Eades tosses no-hitter in All-Star win

Jaxon Eades tossed four innings of no-hit baseball and the Rhinelander Little League 12U All-Stars defeated Wausau National by the run-rule 10-0 in four innings Wednesday in District 5 tournament play at Doepke Park in Wausau. 

Eades walked three and struck out three in the win as he kept the Nationals at bat. Meanwhile, the Hodags jumped in front early with a two-run first inning, tacked on three in the second and reached the run-rule threshold by scoring five times in the fourth inning. 

The Hodags pounded out 12 hits in the game, led by Eli Bauer, who hit a two-run homer in the first inning and added an RBI single in the fourth as part of a 2-for-2 night at the plate. Jeter Vander Galien, Eades and Blake Sundby also collected two hits at the plate while Nick Schneider, Cooper Clark, Griffin Rady and Mason Paulson had one hit each. 

Rhinelander (2-0) was the only team in the four-team pool that was undefeated through two days of play. Rain washed out Thursday’s play and Friday’s, pushing it back to Monday afternoon. Rhinelander was set to take on Wausau American. 

The teams with the two best records following pool play were set to meet in the championship game Monday in Wausau. The state tournament is set for July 24-27 in West Bend.

Double first base to be introduced into high school baseball

Beginning with the 2027 season, a double first base will be required in high school baseball games to minimize the risk of collisions by runners and fielders.

This rule revision was one of 10 proposed by the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee during its annual meeting held last month in Indianapolis. The rules changes were accepted by the NFHS Board of Directors.

New language was added to Rule 1-2-9 noting that the double first base must be white and a contrasting solid color. The white portion of the base is located in fair territory while the colored half is located in foul territory, split by the first base foul line. There is to be no space between the two portions of the double base.

“Adding the double first base is symbolic to the evolution of the sport. It will immediately address running lane violations, and it will further protect the players from the violent collisions that have occurred at first base,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee. “By reducing collisions and enhancing safety, it preserves both the integrity of competition and the well-being of those who play.”

Several subsequent rules changes, including Rule 8-2-2a, outline how batter-runners and fielders shall use the double first base. The batter-runner should use the colored base on an initial play at first base unless a fielder is drawn into foul territory to receive a dropped third strike, in which case, the batter-runner would use the white portion of the base. Once the batter-runner reaches first base, the batter-runner must always return to the white base, including when leading off, returning on a pick-off attempt or tagging up on a fly ball.

A batter-runner may use either side of first base on a base-on-balls or on an extra-base hit to the outfield when there is no chance of a play to be made at first base.

Interference is to be called on batter-runners if they only touch the white portion on a force play at first and collide with the fielder. Similarly, it is obstruction if a defensive player only touches the colored portion of the base and collides with the batter-runner.

Rule 2-5-1h was added to note that it is a fair ball if a batted ball hits or bounds over any part of the white portion of the double first base. Alternately, it is a foul ball if a batted ball hits or bounds over any part of the colored portion of the base (Rule 2-16-1h).

Rule 3-4-6 was added to address defensive player meetings as charged conferences. Each team, when on defense, may be granted not more than one player-to-player meeting during an inning. Umpires shall deny any subsequent defensive team requests for that half-inning. Additionally, Rule 2-10-3 was added to define a player-to-player defensive meeting as having two or more defensive players.

Two rules changes were approved to bring the Baseball Rules Book in line with all NFHS rules. Language added to Rule 1-4-4 allows a school’s name, nickname, logo, mascot and/or player’s name to be permitted on a uniform top and/or pants beginning in 2027.

In addition, Rule 1-6-3 states that “no player shall wear any audio (microphone) or video (camera) device during the game.”