Texas HSSB Team Under Investigation After Catcher Appears To Rip Multiple Close-Range Throws Directly At Batters' Heads

The Texas University Interscholastic League is investigating an incident that occurred during a playoff softball game over the weekend. To call it bizarre and frightening would be understated.

Cisco High School is a 250(ish)-student school in the 4,000-person town of Cisco, Texas. It faced McCamey High School, a 150(ish)-student school in the 2,000-person town of McCamey, Texas in the Area Championship series.

It is the McCamey catcher who is being investigated for what may or may not have been intentional actions. That is where the debate lies— intent.

A video from the game has surfaced in which the Lady Badger catcher is seen throwing the ball down the first base line, with a lot of force, and hitting the Cisco batter in the head. Hard.

The scary direct headshot was not the only occurrence. McCamey's catcher had buzzed a different batter's tower earlier in the game.

It wasn't the only time that this has happened with McCamey softball.

A local Texas publication, the Coleman Today, described two other instances in which the McCamey catcher hit a batter in the head with a throw during a previous playoff game.

Then an odd event took place, that no one was quite ready for… McKeehan watched a ball go across the plate, making the count 1-2. She stepped out of the batter's box, as she often does, to look at Coach Corey Aven at 3rd base and the McCamey catcher threw the ball, (supposedly towards her 3rd baseman) hitting McKeehan in the back of the head. Lauren was called out for interference.

The exact same thing took place again later in that same game.

Unfortunately, out of habit McKeehan stepped out of the batter's box to look at Coach Aven again after the first strike, receiving the ball to her head again from the McCamey catcher, since Gilbreath was on 3rd. Out #1.

According to KAMR4, two additional schools may have experienced the same kind of situation against McCarney. One school declined to comment. The other did not respond.

Batter's interference may have been the root.

Batter's interference can be called if a player interferes with the catcher's ability to field or throw. The batter must step outside of the batter's box or make a movement that directly impedes the catcher's ability to do her job behind the dish.

Batter's interference results in an out.

A batter cannot be called for interference if the catcher intentionally causes the batter to interfere. That is where the Texas UIL is stepping in to investigate. Was it intentional?

Ripping a softball at a batter's head from close range is incredibly dangerous. If it was intentional, there is a larger conversation to be had.

But was it intentional?

Let's take a look at the first video first.

There is a runner on third base. Thus, technically, there is a play to be made as the runner takes a lead off of the bag.

However, look at the catcher's arm angle and trajectory of the throw.

It is possible that the catcher was trying to draw an interference call, but the batter had not yet stepped out of the box and did not make a movement that impeded the catcher.

Now let's look at the second video.

There is not a runner on third, but there is a runner on second. Thus, technically, there is a play to be made if the runner on second was to take off toward third.

Except the runner on second does not try to steal. She takes a normal lead off of the base, and doesn't even get halfway to third before the catcher rears back to throw.

Notice, too, that the third baseman was not even guarding third base. She was way down the third base line to try and cover a potential bunt. A throw down to third would not have done any good.

The batter was doing some very normal post-pitch movement and was still in the box when the catcher ripped the ball down the line and nailed her in the noggin. Again, look at the arm angle.

As soon as the batter was hit in the head and crumbled to the turf, the catcher immediately went back to gather the ball — which had bounced off of the batter's helmet — and move on to the next pitch. No remorse. No concern.

Fortunately, no injuries have been reported from any of the incidents involving McCamey and its catcher. The investigation is ongoing at this time and the UIL has declined to comment further.