State tournament play this weekend promises to be a little wet.
A combined 20 baseball, softball and soccer state tournaments are scheduled to be played today through Saturday, but with heavy rains expected throughout the state there is a strong possibility that at least some of those tournaments will extend into early next week.
Tournament officials, however, are hopeful that any delay to the annual spring Arkansas Activities Association events will be minimal.
"If we can get them in, we will," said Benton Athletic Director Scott Neatherly, who will oversee the Class 5A baseball and softball tournaments. "If we have to postpone them, it will probably be a last-minute decision."
"Barring lightning or dangerous rain, we'll play," said Conway Athletic Director Clint Ashcraft, whose school is hosting the Class 6A boys and girls soccer tournaments.
According to weather.com, there is a 30% chance of precipitation and isolated thunderstorms today and an 80% chance of precipitation and thunderstorms Friday for central Arkansas. Saturday's rain chances are listed at 100%.
"Right now, our fields are in great shape," Neatherly said Wednesday afternoon. "They're dry. If it's not raining, we'll play."
Rain played a huge role in last week's baseball and softball regional tournaments. A majority of the regionals were forced to push back their Saturday scheduled championship games to either Sunday or Monday.
Neatherly said he will do whatever the AAA instructs him to do for this week's state tournaments.
"We won't play on Sunday morning," Neatherly said. "But we will play on Sunday afternoon if we have to."
Both the 5A baseball and softball tournaments will use two fields to complete the first round of play for the 16-team fields. The baseball games will be played at the Benton Athletic Complex and at Joe T. Robinson High School on Arkansas 10 in Pulaski County. The softball tournament will be split between the athletic complex and Riverside Park (1800 Citizens Drive) in Benton.
The quarterfinals and semifinals will be played at the athletic complex.
The 6A boys soccer tournament will be played at Conway High School. The first two rounds of the 6A girls tournament will be played at Hendrix College in Conway. Saturday's semifinals of the girls tournament will move to the high school.
"We have a turf field, and as long as nothing goes crazy, we should be able to get the games in," Ashcraft said. "And Hendrix has assured me that drainage is not an issue on its field."
Searcy (5A), Southside Batesville (4A) and Harrison (3A) also will be hosting state soccer tournaments. Rogers (6A baseball), Bentonville (6A softball), Southside Batesville (4A), Harrison (3A), Mountain Home (2A) and Taylor (1A) are the hosts of the other baseball and softball tournaments.
Sports on 05/09/2019