Sports

College Baseball’s New Orange ‘Safety Bag’ Creates Widespread Confusion During 16-Inning Marathon

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College baseball Safety Bag First Base Controversy West Virginia Arizona Out
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West Virginia was on the losing end of a 16-inning college baseball marathon against Arizona that finished up well after midnight. The biggest storyline from the extra-inning thriller has to do with the new safety bag and nothing to do with the final score.

This latest rule change continues to create widespread confusion amongst players, coaches and fans alike as everybody adjusts to the new reality. It became the center of attention in Morgantown!

The Mountaineers were down to their last out in the bottom of the ninth inning while trailing by one run. They had runners on first and second when junior outfielder Skylar King knocked a line drive up the middle to tie the game on a 1-0 count.

That leads us to the next half inning. Arizona put a runner on base with a walk but he was not there for long. T.J. Adams foot moved off of the white bag at first base onto the orange bag after West Virginia’s pitcher threw over in his direction. The first baseman tagged him out.

Everybody was confused but it was the correct call and a heads-up play by senior Grant Hussey. The safety bag adds a new wrinkle to college baseball. It was added to the sport by the NCAA Division-I Baseball Committee back in January to promote better player safety by reducing collisions at first base.

To break it down in its most simple form, the double-bagged first base only matters on the initial hit. On a play at first, the defender has to be in contact with the white bag. The runner then takes ownership of the orange (or sometimes green) safety bag on the outside.

However, as soon as the runner reaches safely to first base, the orange bag becomes irrelevant. The runner and the defender are both responsible for the white bag on the inside.

Adams moved his foot from the white bag onto the orange bag after the throw down to first. He did not move it back to the white bag. Hussey tagged him out. The umpire was right there to see it.

Arizona got the last laugh in the bottom of the 16th and beat West Virginia. The Wildcats will surely be more careful of the new safety bag moving forward. That kind of mistake could prove very costly in an even more important situation!