John Bruce Elected OVL Commissioner
The OVL board of directors met in Madisonville on August 18, 2018, and faced a host of decisions in preparation for the 2019 season.
The major decision was the election of John Bruce as the new OVL Commissioner. Bruce, formerly the General Manager of the Hoptown Hoppers, succeeds Cubb Stokes, who notified league members shortly after the conclusion of the 2018 season that he would not be returning as commissioner for the 2019 season.
The complete slate of OVL officers for the 2019 season will be:
John Bruce, Commissioner/President
Vic Evans, Vice President
Tricia Noel, Secretary
Mike Smith, Treasurer
Other OVL Meeting News:
In addition to electing new officers for 2019, the teams voted to make the following changes for the 2019 season:
- The teams voted to adopt the NCAA Ten-Run “Mercy Rule” to end blowout games early.
- The teams voted to suspend the annual All-Star Game for the 2019 season due to scheduling concerns surrounding the possible addition of a new team for the 2019 season. (Stay tuned for more news concerning possible league expansion!)
- The teams voted to move the center point of the league from Marion, Kentucky, to Madisonville, Kentucky, thereby shifting the geographic territory of the league slightly to the east. This change may open the door to a further expansion of teams on the eastern side of the OVL footprint.