The Bobcat Nation

The Big Sky will be sponsoring a championship game in softball in future years.

Currently 5 teams have softball and SUU and UND also sponsor softball.

The Big Sky will not make it a core sport and require it for quite awhile but may due so in the next 5-10 years

Is a great sport, but Bozeman's weather would make it a poor choice for the Cats to add. The poor high school practices indoors until May I swear and Bozeman is not a town that supports softball at any level.

the valley is becoming very supportive of softball, all you have to do is go to either the blast or the new belgrade tourney to see that

Here's a kind of wacky question ... would the fieldhouse be big enough for softball? Those fences are awfully short for women's college softball (less than 200 ft down the lines). It seems like that might work indoors for at least part of the year (or at very least for practice) for a Cats softball team. At very worst, you have a "Green Monster-esque" wall at the shortest point.

Granted, it wouldn't be a world-class venue, but it may be servicable.

Bay Area Cat wrote:Here's a kind of wacky question ... would the fieldhouse be big enough for softball? Those fences are awfully short for women's college softball (less than 200 ft down the lines). It seems like that might work indoors for at least part of the year (or at very least for practice) for a Cats softball team. At very worst, you have a "Green Monster-esque" wall at the shortest point.

Granted, it wouldn't be a world-class venue, but it may be servicable.

considering a lot of HS' use gyms to practice, there wouldn't be any reason to think that it wouldn't be allowable for a Cat team and they already have the floors up for the spring rodeo...........it does give a person some interesting ideas

Bay Area Cat wrote:Here's a kind of wacky question ... would the fieldhouse be big enough for softball? Those fences are awfully short for women's college softball (less than 200 ft down the lines). It seems like that might work indoors for at least part of the year (or at very least for practice) for a Cats softball team. At very worst, you have a "Green Monster-esque" wall at the shortest point.

Granted, it wouldn't be a world-class venue, but it may be servicable.

Good question. For the NCAA I believe that 190' to left and right is the minimum distance but only if center field is at least 220'. If center is not 220' then left and right are supposed to be at least 200'. Standard size I see is 200' all the way around.

catamaran wrote:the valley is becoming very supportive of softball, all you have to do is go to either the blast or the new belgrade tourney to see that

Putting on an ASA tournament isn't exactly strong support. What I've seen is this: Bozeman entering just one team (maybe) in each age bracket in the local tournament and that team is typically very very inexperienced compared to the other teams. It's probably been nearly 10 years since Bozeman High School qualified for the state tournament in softball. And when you go to a high school softball game in Bozeman, there's more fans from the other school than there is from in-town. Walk over to the track and there's usually more parents watching practice than are watching a softball game for the Hawks. Belgrade is slightly more supportive of youth softball with Outlaws I believe, but again, not exactly a strong history of success at the high school level. Not sure I'd call that "very supportive" for the valley as a whole.

Billings Cat wrote:

Bay Area Cat wrote:Here's a kind of wacky question ... would the fieldhouse be big enough for softball? Those fences are awfully short for women's college softball (less than 200 ft down the lines). It seems like that might work indoors for at least part of the year (or at very least for practice) for a Cats softball team. At very worst, you have a "Green Monster-esque" wall at the shortest point.

Granted, it wouldn't be a world-class venue, but it may be servicable.

Good question. For the NCAA I believe that 190' to left and right is the minimum distance but only if center field is at least 220'. If center is not 220' then left and right are supposed to be at least 200'. Standard size I see is 200' all the way around.

NCAA rulebook
2.10 Fences
It is highly recommended that the playing field be en closed completely by
sideline fences and a permanent home-run fence in a smooth arc of not more
than 235 feet from home plate. If a 6-foot fence, it is highly recommended
to be a minimum of 190 feet in left and right fields and 220 in center field.
If a 4-foot fence, it is highly recommended to be a minimum of 210 feet in
left and right fields and 230 in center field.

The Fieldhouse is pretty booked up every Spring, a valuable space especially in March and early April.

mchammer wrote:The Fieldhouse is pretty booked up every Spring, a valuable space especially in March and early April.

I'm not sure but I think college softball is april, may, and june

Having softball would attract some awesome local talent.