Pitching depth is foremost in new FHSAA state baseball championship best-of-3 format
After launching best-of-three series’ for regional play the past two years, the Florida High School Athletic Association made another move that adds more games to postseason baseball this week.
The FHSAA board of directors voted 11-0 on Monday to approve a revision that changes the state semifinal and final rounds – which have traditionally been single-elimination games. Starting this spring, those matchups will also be best-of-three.
Semifinals will be played at the home field of the higher-ranked teams, another big change. Only the state finalists in each class (1A through 6A and the Rural Division) will go to Fort Myers, which has hosted the semis and championship games since 2013.
“I think this is a big win for the baseball community,” said Trevor Berryhill, a board member who spoke on behalf of the amendment. He is the baseball coach for The Master’s Academy and formerly the TMA athletic director. “For every decision we make the goal should be to maximize student experience. This does that.”
And most baseball coaches agree that series playoffs enhance the experience, because more than one pitcher is needed to advance a team to the next round.
Before Monday’s FHSAA meeting, its baseball advisory coaches committee voted 8-0 in favor of scrapping single-elimination for the final four games. The athletic directors committee voiced concerns about the added cost for hotel stays and absence from school, but also endorsed the expansion in a 7-4 vote.
“I think we’re going to have a true state champion. That’s a good thing,” said Hagerty coach Mike Sindone, whose team had a dramatic semifinal series, including extra inning wins in Games 2 and 3 at Spruce Creek, in its 2026 region title run. “A best-of-three series means everybody is going to throw their No. 1 (pitcher) and 2 and 3. It’s good for the sport. Why not try something?
“But, personally, I do worry about how it affects us financially. If we’re the No. 8 seed and have to go on the road, and we keep winning, it definitely could get pricey.”
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Proponents say switching to series play for final four games means baseball’s postseason will look more like playoffs in college and Major League Baseball, which has best-of-five and best-of-seven series.
“Best-of-three is going to let you see who has the best overall baseball team, versus riding one guy (pitcher),” said coach Scott Hilinski, whose Orangewood Christian team was the Class 1A state runner-up last season. But he also had a worry – about increasing the workload for pitchers – many of whom will be throwing for club teams soon after their high school season ends.
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“If you make a big run you’re going to add wear and tear to those arms (pitchers). I don’t love that,” Hilinski said. “I think it’s pros and cons. We’ll probably back off that pitch count early in the season.”
The playoff plan for the new Open Division tournament, which will pull the eight highest ranked teams out of their classification after district tournaments are played, is slightly different. As in football, basketball and other team bracket sports, the Open Division teams will be divided into two four-school pools. Baseball teams will play best-of-three in three pool play rounds with the top two teams from each pool advancing to state semifinal series. Semifinal winners will go to Fort Myers for a best-of-three championship series.
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The FHSAA launched series baseball for all three three regional rounds in 2024. With some complaints, mostly about travel issues, the association compromised last year by returning to single games for region quarterfinals while retaining best-of-three for semifinals and finals. Like last season, all series games will be played at the higher seed.
In 2024 the first two games in regional play were at the higher seed. But if teams split the lower seeded school returned home to host the if necessary third game. That changed last year, again because of logistical problems involving travel and cost.
The FHSAA experimented with best-of-three region finals in 2008 and 2009 but cited school budgets in abandoning those series.
For years after that, Spruce Creek coach Matt Cleveland – formerly Hagerty’s coach – has led the drive to bring series play back.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Cleveland said. “It’s great for baseball.”
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Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at [email protected].
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This story was originally published September 22, 2026 at 2:04 PM.
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