WEST BEND – During the annual meeting of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association a proposal gained steam to merge spring and summer baseball into one “sprummer” season.

The WIAA passed a proposal to combine the seasons which would start in mid-April and end in June.

The WIAA is more than familiar with the spring versus summer discussion. Spokesman Todd Clark said they had been batting about alternatives for several years.

 The WIAA realizes weather has been a significant issue this spring. Hard numbers are not available regarding cancellations; however Clark admitted a substantial number of games in the north have not been played.

“It’s fairly normal to have inclement weather during this period. Usually snow doesn’t last this long, but rain and cold is normal. The best weather for the spring season, obviously, is in May and June,” he said.

Questioned whether the WIAA would stand firm and drop the summer season if the number of participating teams reached 64, Clark said it wouldn’t be that quick.  

For summer baseball advocated, there is a subcommittee exploring options. Tim O’Driscoll of Hartland, Jack Friess from Cedarburg, Ernie Mallard from Homestead and John Ball from New Richmond are trying to figure out how to get more schools to come back to summer baseball. Ideas include making two divisions and giving more teams the opportunity to win a state championship.