For the first time in Frisco ISD history, baseball teams are making their way through District 13-5A via series play rather than a round robin format. The move results in the Redhawks playing the same district opponent twice in the same week rather than twice throughout the district schedule.

“I like it because we don’t have to see the number one pitcher for the same team every time we play them,” junior Hayden Archer said. “So it gets us bigger opportunities to see different pitchers. We’ve never done this before.”

Head baseball coach Scott McGarrh proposed the idea of series play, considering most schools in the state participate in it, at the district meeting last year.

“It helps one for scouting, for planning,” McGarrh said. “But then it also guarantees that everybody sees everybody’s one and two [pitchers]. In years past, you were able to manipulate your pitching rotation based on who you wanted to throw against which team. Just taking last year, we had to face 11 of the 14 number ones. It makes for it to be a little bit more of a level playing field.”

In previous years, baseball has participated in a double round robin along with other sports on campus such as basketball. However, athletic coordinator Chris Burtch says that all teams are given flexibility when it comes to scheduling.

“I don’t want to be a micromanager as the campus coordinator and say ‘this is what you are going to do’,” Burtch said. “I’ve always encouraged them to do a little investigation and get facts about everything and make the decision on what’s best for them. That’s what they have done.”

Hoping that series play will stick for future years, sophomore Caleb Nault likes the idea of seeing a school’s entire pitching staff rather than one standout pitcher.

“We get to see their ace and a couple other pitchers unlike last year where you’d face their ace and that was it,” Nault said. “You’d only get to see their good guy. I think they’re going to keep it. I think it’s smart.”