Questions frequently asked about the tournament:
- Are there fields available for practice prior to the tournament?
On Sunday, batting cages and the upper four fields (fields 5-8) at Lake Myrtle Park are available on a first-come, first-served basis. No access to any fields is allowed prior to Sunday, and practice will not be allowed on the main quadrant of fields (1-4) or on Stadium field. HWSA does not coordinate or schedule practice time slots, and practice is optional at the discretion of each team. - Are there fields available for practice on the off day/Wednesday?
No. Batting cages will be open on the off day but the fields are NOT open for practice on this day. - Is the coaches’ meeting mandatory?
Yes. We discuss key rules and tournament processes, hand out tournament programs, t-shirts, and souvenirs, and conduct the random draw of pool assignments. All teams must send 1-2 representatives to this meeting. It is held in the Lake Myrtle office building at 7pm Sunday prior to tournament start, and typically lasts 60-90 min. - Is water provided in the dugouts?
We’re happy to report that the City of Auburndale is returning this year to providing water coolers and cups in all dugouts. - Are outside food & drinks allowed?
Yes. There are concessions open throughout our tournament, but families and teams are also free to bring their own food & drinks to the complex. - Are canopies allowed?
Yes. Families and teams can bring sun shades, folding chairs, blankets, etc. to set up along the fence line on their side of the field. For safety, we ask that canopies not be set on top of the bleachers. - Is there a gate fee?
No. Entry to all fields at Lake Myrtle Park is free throughout the week. - Are pets allowed?
Yes. Pets are allowed on a leash at the Lake Myrtle Park campus. Owners are responsible for bringing cleanup bags and ensuring that the animal(s) are well-behaved. If pets cause a disturbance, owners will be asked to take them away from the park. - Are metal spikes allowed?
Metal spikes are allowed on the playing fields but NOT in the batting cages. - Is there medical care available?
We have a first aid kit and list of local minor emergency clinics at the tournament office, but we do not have a medical trainer on site. - Do all teams play the same number of games?
Weather permitting, all teams will play at least 5 games; some teams will play more if their pool goes to a tie-breaker, if they qualify for the “Q round”, and/or if a “Q-round replay” game is needed (see tournament rules). The maximum games a team might play is 7. - Do all teams play the entire week?
Due to the heat and to maximize fairness for teams with smaller rosters, we strive to spread games across the week as much as possible, avoiding back-to-back double headers if at all possible. Each Division has a consolation bracket in addition to the winners’ path. Generally all divisions play Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri. Divisions 1 and 2 play on Saturday, and the Division 3 All-Tournament game is held Saturday. - Is there space to park a trailer?
Teams sometimes rent a trailer to haul team gear to the tournament. There is space adjacent to the County Hall of Fame building to park, but this is at the team’s risk. We suggest utilizing a hitch lock and ensuring that insurance coverage is in place for any trailers parked at the complex. - How are weather issues handled?
In springtime in Florida, rain is a frequent occurrence. We schedule an open day Wed. in our tournament schedule to allow for rain-out contingencies. We may adjust our schedule if rain interrupts the schedule early in the week, OR if it has a high probability for later in the week. We post all updates to the website in addition to text communication with coaches.
Games are sometimes suspended and restarted later in the day after rain has passed. If a game is stopped for the day due to weather, NFHS game completion rules apply…- If the game is in its first 4.5 innings, or in the bottom of the 5th tied or with visitors ahead, it will be scheduled for restart the next day, picking up from the last play/pitch.
- If the home team is winning any time after 4.5 innings, the game is complete at the current score.
- If tied or the visiting team is ahead after 5.0 innings, the game result depends on the score after the last completed inning. If this is a tie, the game will be set to restart from the last play/pitch; if not a tie, the game is complete at that last inning score.
- If any game which would normally be restarted based on these rules is unable to be restarted, the winner will be determined by the score at the end of the latest complete inning that is not a tie score.
- Which teams are honored at the awards ceremonies?
- For Division I, the World Series champions, runners-up, and 3rd place teams are all honored and announced on-field.
- For Division II, the 1st and 2nd place teams are honored and announced.
- For Division III, the 1st place team is honored and announced.
After the team awards, EVERY team in EVERY division will have a number of players honored with All-American medals (Divisions I and II) or All-Tournament medals (Division III) as a result of coach & player voting after the final game. Every member of every team is therefore asked and encouraged to attend the awards ceremony for their division to either receive these honors, or to cheer for their teammates who will. - How does the D3 All-Tournament game work?
- After each Division III team’s final game on Friday, players and coaches will be given ballots to vote for D3 All-Tournament honors, as noted above.
- Depending on the number of teams in the D3 bracket, there will be a set # of players honored from each team.
- Rosters will be divided as evenly as possible, ensuring that there is sufficient coverage for both squads for pitching and all fielding positions.
- The coaches from the Division III champions and runners-up will serve as the coaches for the All-Tournament game, and will set their lineups and determine fielding positions.
- The full roster will be listed in the batting order; substitution rules will be voided for this game, and the game will be limited to 2:30 or 7 innings (6.5 if home leading) – ties allowed, as it is an ‘all-star’ type format.
- The game will be held on the Stadium Field on Saturday morning. All families are invited to watch and cheer them on!