Ventura Pays the Price for Rule Mix-Up : Baseball: Cougars misinterpret date of player’s eligibility, forfeit four victories.

The Ventura High baseball team has forfeited four victories because a rule regarding player eligibility was misinterpreted.

Seth Casey, a senior pitcher-shortstop, was academically ineligible for the first half of the season but he met grade requirements for the grading period that ended April 7, the day Coach Dan Smith began playing him.

Southern Section rules state that a player’s eligibility is not restored until grades are officially released. Because Ventura was on spring break last week, teachers were not required to turn in their grades until Tuesday.

“We’re policing ourselves on this,” Smith said. “We just didn’t read the rule right.”

The forfeits drop Ventura from 12-4 and 6-1 in league play to 8-8, 5-2. Ventura is now tied for first with Rio Mesa (12-4, 5-2).