NCAA Points of Emphasis

[CoachPaul]

8-2-d
Hit by Pitch
A batter must make an attempt to avoid being hit by any pitched ball. When the batter fails to make a legitimate effort to avoid the ball, the pitch will be called a ball or strike relative to its position as defined by the strike zone, Rule 2-74 or 7-4. "Freezing" is no longer an acceptable method of avoiding being hit by a pitched ball. Allowing the ball to hit any part of the body will not be accepted as "hit by the pitch" and the batter will remain at the plate to complete his at-bat unless the pitch results in ball four or strike three.

From the NCAA Baseball Rules for 2015 and 2016

Discuss...

[fearsomefour]

Fine by me.
Seen many guys lean into pitches,flare their arm out to get hit.
This may be an area of focus but the guys I have gone to I have seen guys awarded bases after their sleeve got nicked with no real attempt to move.

[Pitcher17]

Seen this on a couple of other forums. Question was if HS word follow suite. From what I've seen this year no changes.

[fearsomefour]

The trouble with high school of course is pitchers with lack of control.
Of course, I have also seen kids almost standing with their toes on the corner of the plate and not be made to move by the umpire. Particularly if the umpire has the habit, which many do, of setting up on the outside corner away from the batter. But hey, for $30 a game or whatever, you get what you get.

[sidewinder34]

Coming from a college program that promoted "wearing it," I do think an HBP is a potentially rally starter. Our dugout always erupted when someone wore a fastball like a champ. It has a place in the game, and I think it is fairly obvious when a guy is trying to get hit rather than just taking one that is coming right for him.

I'm not a big fan of this rule change. If a dude lets one fly and it's straight at the meat of my back, I should be allowed to "wear it" and take my base. Would this be deemed a ball now?

[fearsomefour]

Of its right at your back and you turn you will still get the base.
What I think they are trying to avoid is guys leaning in or stepping in so much when hitting it causes them to get hit.

[sidewinder34]

"Allowing a pitch to hit any part of the body will not be accepted as 'hit by the pitch'..." What is the definition of "allowing?" If I resign and turn into it, isn't that allowing? Too much gray area in this rule.

[fearsomefour]

I don't disagree
Like many rules it is left to the interpretation of the umpire. A pitch that is a couple inches inside and a batter get hit while turning into the pitch is much different than a pitch heading right at your back in your example with a batter training away from the ball.
But in a game with such vague things as a strike zone built in it will always come down to the umpire.

[CoachPaul]

I believe, based on my recent umpire board meeting, they are focused on the tough guys that just let it hit them without moving, and the guy who's only ninja skill is to close his eyes and brace for impact.

[CoachPaul]

Speaking of strike zone--there's a lot of talk about changing the lower boundary of the strike zone to the top of the knee instead of the hollow below the knee. The hope is to eliminate a pitch that most batter's can't handle with the hope of improving offensive results and reducing the pitcher's advantage.

[oc2viking]

Speaking of strike zone--there's a lot of talk about changing the lower boundary of the strike zone to the top of the knee instead of the hollow below the knee. The hope is to eliminate a pitch that most batter's can't handle with the hope of improving offensive results and reducing the pitcher's advantage.

This would be horrible in my opinion. If anything I think they need to raise the upper limit back to just below the letters instead of the belt line where they call it today.

[fearsomefour]

The hitter has all the advantage as it is.
He knows where the pitcher has to throw to get a strike. Add in the fact most umpires can't call a curveball consistently (calling it where it is caught and not where it crosses) and the hitter has advantage n

[CoachPaul]

OBA and BA being what they are, I'd say that the pitcher wins more than the batter. Rare is the hitter who can do serious damage from the bottom of the strike zone. Has anyone else noticed that it seems LH hitters do better than RH hitters at the bottom of the zone?

[fearsomefour]

Yep, I have noticed this as well.
I also noticed more lefties take their warm up swings by swings "down". As a lefty myself I always preferred the ball down. Not sure as to the why but seemed to see the ball better.

[CoachPaul]

In Youth ball, umpires call the high strike and stretch the lower limits of the zone. The big issue in youth ball is the relatively low skill level of most of the batting order. The pitcher gets all the marginal strikes on fastballs. If the strike zone is expanded, we get lots of Ks. If they call it tight, we get walks. Either way, not an offensive showcase. Often, in ord er to keep the game moving and the parents awake, umpires grab every strike and every out they can.