Quirk in calendar creates conflicts

If you’re an Albuquerque Isotopes fan and want to watch them May 16th, 17th or 18th, you’re in luck. The Isotopes are home on those days.

That’s unwelcome news for the state’s high school baseball players. Most of them, anyway.

Only four teams — the finalists in Class 2A and 5A — will get to compete at Isotopes Park next month.

In fact, the 2A and 5A championship games are the only two games scheduled at Isotopes Park for this year’s state playoffs.

Ordinarily, the New Mexico Activities Association has had the second weekend in May to stage postseason games at the state’s centerpiece baseball facility.

But with everything on the NMAA calendar running about a week later than usual — it’s a quirk in the calendar — Isotopes Park will not be available May 15-18 during the second week of the playoffs.

“It’s very disappointing,” said NMAA executive director Sally Marquez. “I hope that every kid gets an opportunity to play in Isotopes Park.”

The 2A final will be played at noon on May 17. The 5A championship game is noon on May 18.

Every other game of the tournament is at a high school field or newly renovated Lobo Field, which is back in the rotation after not being available last year.

The Isotopes usually are traveling the second weekend in May, and the NMAA has use of their stadium.

It is a coincidence that Isotopes Park is almost always free on that weekend, Isotopes general manager John Traub said.

“It’s been unbelievable how it works out that way,” Traub said. “We can’t request to be gone at a certain time.”

Losing Isotopes Park hurts everyone from a prestige standpoint, and the NMAA also stands to see diminished gate receipts as well.

Last year, Isotopes Park hosted five games in the Class 5A bracket alone — two quarterfinals, both semifinals and the final.

All five championship games — 1A-5A — were played at Isotopes Park in 2012.

The following high schools will be used in the playoff rotation May 15-18: Rio Rancho, Cleveland (two fields), St. Pius, Volcano Vista, La Cueva and Eldorado.

Lobo Field will host some games, too, including two 5A quarterfinals on May 16, both 5A semifinals on May 17, the 1A title game on May 16, and the 3A and 4A title games on May 18.

Ordinarily, the state tournament would end May 11, and in fact the Isotopes are traveling that weekend. But the 2012-13 school year calendar has been unique, with everything — including big-school state football championship games and the second week of state basketball — starting a week later than usual.

This year’s playoff schedule is almost certain to be revised, however, because Cleveland is fast-tracking the installation of lights. The poles are due to arrive in early May and should be ready by May 15, Rio Rancho district athletic director Bruce Carver said.

NMAA associate director Dusty Young, who coordinates state baseball, said night games would be played May 15-17 at Cleveland.

But it’s doubtful the 5A bracket could use Cleveland because of limited seating capacity. It only seats about 700 with room for maybe 300 more, Carver said. That would be too small if two local teams met, Young said.

Rio Rancho Public Schools has a plan to install lights at four fields in the coming months — Cleveland and Rio Rancho baseball, Cleveland softball, and the primary field at Eagle Ridge Middle School, home to Rio Rancho softball.

Although Rio Grande also has a lighted field, it is not being considered, Young said. The logistics, he said, are daunting.

Young said he believes the schedule is favorable for more games at Isotopes Park in 2014. It was not feasible to move the dates of this year’s state tournament, Young added.
— This article appeared on page B5 of the Albuquerque Journal