Slowpitch softball to return this fall
Published 1:30 am Monday, May 7, 2018
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s Executive Board voted April 22 to bring back girls slowpitch softball beginning this fall.
Slowpitch softball will be played during the 2018 fall sports season, with the potential for a WIAA state tournament in 2019 depending on the number of participating schools.
Fastpitch softball will continue to be played in the spring.
When the WIAA adopted softball in 1978-79, slowpitch was the only form of the sport played by its member schools. As the sport evolved, schools and leagues chose to participate in either fastpitch or slowpitch.
The first WIAA fastpitch championship was held in 1992, and all of the state’s classifications transitioned to fastpitch by 2003. The last WIAA slowpitch championship was held in 2002.
The re-emergence of slowpitch softball in the Greater Spokane League, Greater St. Helens League and Columbia Basin Big Nine has helped rekindle an interest in the sport.
“This is a great opportunity to reach more female athletes and increase the number of students who get the benefits of competitive athletics,” Executive Board president Lori Wyborney said in a press release.
