DEERWOOD, MINN. – Minnesota’s high school baseball and softball seasons could expand to 20% more regular-season games, based on a proposal discussed Tuesday at a Minnesota State High School League’s board meeting.

The MSHSL currently limits baseball and softball teams to 20 regular-season games, but that total could grow to 24 under the proposal, which appears headed for a vote at the next board meeting Oct 2.

For comparison, Iowa high school baseball and softball teams play 40 regular-season games, North Dakota 36, Illinois 35 and Wisconsin 26.

To get more than 20, Minnesota’s coaches could be creative with their scheduling. The proposal would allow teams to count in-season tournaments, doubleheaders or triangulars as one playing date, instead of the two or three games that might be played in that event.

Tournaments held Friday through Saturday would count as one playing date. Teams would have a maximum of two in-season tournaments.

“We’re not at a finish line right now,” Erich Martens, MSHSL executive director, said during the meeting at Ruttger’s Bay Lake Resort. “We’re gathering information. … Any time something changes in a particular sport or activity, others are watching and saying, ‘Wait, does that mean we have an open door now to do this?’ ”

In an MSHSL survey, 84% of Minnesota’s baseball coaches and 83% of softball coaches supported the measure. Minnesota’s weather often wreaks havoc with spring sports, and this would be a chance for teams to make up lost games.

“I would say the authors of this proposal have done a fantastic job,” said Bob Madison, MSHSL senior associate director. “They have representation — both between softball and baseball — from every region of the state, including superintendents and principals that are in support of this.”

Expanding instant replay in football

Also at the meeting, the board approved expanding instant replay in football. The video review technology has been used in the second half of state semifinals and Prep Bowl games and will now cover the end of the first half.

In 2017, the MSHSL became the first state association in the country to use instant replay video review for ice hockey, basketball and football. In football, the use of video replay was initially limited to scoring plays, turnovers and specific incidents in the final two minutes of a half that affect the clock, whether a player is inbounds or a pass is complete.

The MSHSL board on Tuesday also approved a budget of about $12 million for the 2025-26 school year and honored John Millea, a former Star Tribune sportswriter who is retiring from the MSHSL after spending the past 15 years there, writing stories for his popular blog, “John’s Journal.”