OSSAA board approves moving fastpitch softball tournaments to Shawnee, OU and OSU for 2023

For Oklahoma high school fastpitch softball teams, the roads to state championships will lead to OU and Oklahoma State this year.

The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association Board of Directors approved softball state tournament sites for the 2023-24 school year during its Wednesday meeting.

With the cost to compete at USA Hall of Fame Stadium rising steeply, the fall fastpitch tournaments are moving to different settings. Early-round games will take place at Firelake Ball Fields in Shawnee. Then OU and Oklahoma State will host the state championship games.

Spring slowpitch state tournaments are set to continue at Hall of Fame Stadium. The slowpitch tournaments take place over only two days, so the cost isn’t as high as it would be for fastpitch championships.

OSSAA assistant director Mike Clark, who presides over softball, said the association paid $70,000 to hold fastpitch and slowpitch tournaments at Hall of Fame Stadium during the past school year. This year, the cost would have risen to $116,000, he said.

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OSSAA introduces Class 6A, 5A basketball districts

District play is coming to Oklahoma high school basketball in Classes 6A and 5A, replacing the previous system of coaches’ rankings.

The OSSSA Board of Directors approved Wednesday these districts for the 2023-24 school year:

Class 6A

• District 1: Edmond North, Norman North, Mustang, Moore, Putnam North, Deer Creek, Piedmont, Capitol Hill

• District 2: Putnam West, Norman, Yukon, Edmond Santa Fe, Westmoore, Lawton Eisenhower, Lawton, Northwest Classen

• District 3: Edmond Memorial, Sand Springs, Owasso, Enid, Tulsa Union, Bartlesville, U.S. Grant, Putnam City

• District 4: Broken Arrow, Bixby, Choctaw, Jenks, Stillwater, Ponca City, Muskogee, Southmoore

Class 5A

• District 1: Carl Albert, Crossings Christian, El Reno, Guthrie, Elgin, Shawnee, Altus, Western Heights

• District 2: Midwest City, Del City, Southeast, Lawton MacArthur, John Marshall, Noble, Guymon, Santa Fe South

• District 3: Tulsa Booker T. Washington, Collinsville, Tulsa Kelley, Tahlequah, Claremore, Tulsa East Central, Grove, Pryor

• District 4: Tulsa Memorial, Tulsa Holland Hall, Tulsa Edison, Coweta, Sapulpa, Durant, Tulsa Will Rogers, McAlester

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OSSAA approves baseball districts

The Class 6A-3A spring baseball districts are set for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years:

Class 6A

• District 1: Deer Creek, Edmond North, Edmond Santa Fe, Norman, Northwest Classen, Putnam City, Putnam West, Yukon

• District 2: Choctaw, Edmond Memorial, Lawton, Lawton Eisenhower, Mustang, Putnam North, Southmoore, Westmoore

• District 3: Bartlesville, Jenks, Moore, Muskogee, Norman North, Owasso, Sand Springs, Stillwater

• District 4: Broken Arrow, Tulsa Kelley, Bixby, Capitol Hill, Enid, Piedmont, Ponca City, Tulsa Union

Class 5A

• District 1: Carl Albert, El Reno, Guthrie, Guymon, Noble, Shawnee, U.S. Grant, Western Heights

• District 2: Altus, Duncan, Elgin, John Marshall, Lawton MacArthur, Midwest City, Santa Fe South, Southeast

• District 3: Tulsa Booker T. Washington, Claremore, Collinsville, Grove, Tulsa Nathan Hale, Pryor, Tulsa Will Rogers

• District 4: Coweta, Del City, Durant, Tulsa Edison, McAlester, Tulsa Memorial, Tahlequah, Sapulpa

Class 4A

• District 1: Ada, Bethany, Blanchard, Byng, Douglass, Harrah, McLoud, Seminole

• District 2: Broken Bow, Checotah, Hilldale, Muldrow, Poteau, Stigler, Wagoner

• District 3: Ardmore, Dickson, Madill, Marlow, Newcastle, Plainview, Sulphur

• District 4: Fort Gibson, Inola, Jay, Locust Grove, Sallisaw, Sequoyah Claremore, Stilwell

• District 5: Anadarko, McGuinness, Clinton, Elk City, Kingfisher, Weatherford, Woodward

• District 6: Berryhill, Bristow, Catoosa, Dewey, Miami, Oologah-Talala, Verdigris, Vinita

• District 7: Bridge Creek, Cache, Chickasha, Classen SAS, Harding Charter Prep, Pauls Valley, Purcell, Tuttle

• District 8: Cushing, Cleveland, Glenpool, Mannford, North Rock Creek, Perkins-Tryon, Tecumseh, Skiatook

Class 3A

• District 1: Comanche, Frederick, Lexington, Lindsay, Lone Grove, Marietta, Washington

• District 2: Bethel, Chandler, Henryetta, Kellyville, Luther, Prague, Mount St. Mary

• District 3: Casady, Community Christian, Heritage Hall, Holdenville, Jones, Little Axe, Millwood

• District 4: Alva, Blackwell, Chisholm, Crossings Christian, Oklahoma Christian School, Perry, Star Spencer

• District 5: Adair, Commerce, Kansas, Keys (Park Hill), Tulsa Lincoln Christian, Owasso Rejoice Christian, Salina, Sequoyah Tahlequah

• District 6: Beggs, Tulsa Holland Hall, Kiefer, Tulsa Metro Christian, Morris, Okmulgee, Sperry

• District 7: Tulsa Cascia Hall, Eufaula, Heavener, Roland, Spiro, Tulsa Victory Christian, Westville

• District 8: Antlers, Atoka, Hugo, Idabel, Kingston, Silo, Tishomingo, Valliant

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school fastpitch softball tournaments move sites in 2023