Baseball: The bat controversy continues

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Simi Valley Royal Coach Dan Maye has told the Ventura County Star that a protest was filed by San Clemente over the bat used by Ryan Tinkham in Friday’s 3-2 victory over the Tritons.

But the umpires checked the bat three times and never ejected Tinkham, which means they ruled the bat legal, and San Clemente would seem to have no chance at having its protest succeed.

Royal is scheduled to play Santa Ana Mater Dei on Tuesday in a Southern Section Division 1 semifinal at 7 p.m. at Blair Field in Long Beach.

The big question is whether the metal bat Tinkham uses that makes a thud sound instead of a ping when the ball is hit will be used. That could produce lots of debate among fans in the bleachers, as it did on Friday at San Clemente.

UPDATE: Southern Section spokesman Thom Simmons said in an e-mail Sunday that a protest had been filed and will be heard but it won’t change the outcome of Friday’s game.

-- Eric Sondheimer