The tournament, after all, seems like a good recruiting tool because it brings dozens of high school students and athletes to Washburn. In the highly competitive atmosphere of college recruiting, I'd think that would be valuable. As a good-will gesture, maybe waiving the fee would help persuade some Topeka seniors to stay in town next fall. If worse came to worse, you might think, the kids could wash a few cars or sell a few homemade pies. Fact is, though, that the fee is turning schools away.
Regional baseball is an iffy proposition to begin with, and extra expenses make it downright bad.
Schools also don't have first option for concessions, meaning they won't be able to recoup losses through food and drink sales. For Highland Park, that equation made McDonald more attractive than Falley. Although one head coach was so dismayed by the thought of playing at McDonald that he urged his school to front the rental fee, Seaman AD Brad Dietz and West AD Joe Schrag supported the move. Despite McDonald's shortcomings, they said, they believed the field was adequate and understood why Hi Park would opt to forego the rental fee. I'm saddened, though.