By Illinois Radio Network

BLOOMINGTON – High school baseball players in Illinois will likely see new pitch-count requirements this spring.

Illinois High School Association managers said it’s the latest nod to safety that most schools already have embraced.

IHSA Baseball Administrator Sam Knox said most schools already pull their pitchers when they have thrown too many pitches.

Knox said the IHSA will vote in October on whether to formalize a new 115-pitch limit and require four days of rest for pitchers between outings.

Knox said they must make the rule official because there are still some old-school types out there.

“We know that any time you come up with new ideas, or new plans, or new rules, in this case you’re going to get some pushback,” Knox said. “People say, ‘We’ve always done it this way,’ or ‘I’ve been coaching for 20-something years, and here’s how we do it at our school.”

Knox said most schools have no issue with the pitch count and that most coaches recognize there is a link between over-exertion and injuries in young players.

“Just because our generation of parents used to play a different way 20, 30, 40 years ago doesn’t mean that way of playing still works,” Knox said.

The IHSA has steered toward a new focus on player safety over the past few years. Knox said a number of sports have seen new rules to cut down on injuries.