Residents of Illinois and the Midwest in general can relate to the drastic turns in weather that can occur from day-to-day or week-to-week, especially in the spring.

Wet springs are often the norm and make life difficult on Athletic Directors and coaches trying to schedule outdoor sports.

That fact is no different for the IHSA State Tournaments, with the need to play contests at the Regional, Sectional, Super-Sectional and State Final rounds during an 18-day span.

From the Regional Quarterfinals to the State Championships, there are approximately 1,200 baseball and softball games played in that span to complete the state tourneys in all four classes.

The story from a 1960 edition of the Chicago Tribune pictured to the right reads:

"The toss of a coin Saturday resolved a prep baseball foul-up resulting from Chicago’s foul weather.

After trying for three days to play off their final regional game in the annual state tournament, and prevented from doing so by rain and wet grounds, Maine East’s defending state champions and Highland Park’s challengers agreed to toss a coin.

Maine East won the toss. “But,” said Coach Glen Van Proyen, “Our boys weren’t at all happy over it. They felt sorry for Highland Park, which has a very fine team but, because of the beastly weather, lost out on the toss of a coin and never had a chance to show what it can do.”

Highland Park is the pace setter in the strong Suburban league on a record of nine victories and two losses. As a result of the “victory”, Maine East advances to the Rockford sectional...(story cuts off)"