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Hey guys i'm new to the forum but it seems to have alot of info. I'm a junior in highschool and recently decided to play on my highschool's baseball team. tryouts are in 3 weeks, and i dont really care if all i make is the junior varsity squad, i just want to be a part of the team, i love baseball! anyway, for the last 3 years i have been an endurance athlete (run cross country, track and field) and i was an avid cyclist (usually rode 9-12 hrs. a week, about 200-250 miles) but now that the days are getting shorter and colder, its harder to get on the bike everyday, plus i can only play baseball for my school this year and next, but i can always do cycling after high school.

I'm mainly concerned about what i need to do to get into baseball form, i'm very fit aerobically and physically. I've started semi-practicing with the team, mainly doing pitch and catch, and i feel great doing it, but i also know that the guys who have played in highschool have a def. advantage over me. what would be some good workouts/drills to help me get into the mindset of baseball and the physical aspect of the sport?

also, i am pretty small for a highschool ball player (male, age 16, 5'8", 126 pounds) and am wondering about weights. should i try to put on more muscle? what kind of workout should i do? heavey weights and low reps?

Another concern of mine is my nutrition. I'm not a big meat eater really, i'll usually have peanut butter, maybe some chicken for supper, and maybe some beans or nuts, but not much protein other than that, i do take some whey protein though, mainly for muscle recovery after long bike rides. I'm currently getting around 2300-2500 cals a day, i know that playing ball, at least right now, is going to burn considerably less calories (cycling burns around 500 per hour of riding, so i'm using around 750-1000 cals a day for that, or was) should i change my diet to compensate.

p.s. i eat VERY healthy for a teen, bdoy fat% is 7 %.

Guys, i greatly appreciate any tips or info you have for me. like i said, i just want to play ball! GO SOX!!!
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Well here's what I'd do;

I'd hit the weight room, ask the Coach for the weight lifting program and get on it. If he doesn't have his team on a program there's a few books you can get or even scour the HSBBW cause there are a few good ones here, I'm a pitcher, so I can't give you mine otherwise I would.

Keep up the cardio work, even ride a bike indoors, or the treadmill.

Take a 100% whey protein shake 3 times a day. And just keep on eating healthy.
hey i would say that you should hit the wieght room but be careful. if i was you i would try to gain as much strength as you can while gaining as little mass. in baseball you dont need to be big. i would do a lot of med ball and band stuff for both your upper and lower body. a big part of baseball is core strength NOT BIG MUSCLES. if you have strong abs and thighs and back you will be good because you will maintain strength FLEXIBILITY and speed. and dont stop your endurance programs, those will help at the end of the season and into the postseason.
I'm about the same size as you(5'10" 128 lbs.) I play shortstop and what i do is work on my cardio and go to the weightroom 3 or 4 times a week. I dont try to go with heavy weight and do about 2 reps of it, i usually go 3 sets of 10 reps for everything i do there. Core strength is a key in baseball so do alot of situps or crunches. keep us updated on your tryouts.
Clearly you are in great shape so I would focus on baseball skills.

Lots and lots of Long Toss, try to get some arm strength you may not have developed over the past few years.

Get a Batting tee and take a several hundred swings a week try to grove your swing. As you get closer to tryouts, try to find someone who can throw you BP.
Last edited by BigWI
If you are late preparing for the coming season, don't be surprised if you don't make it. Of course a lot depends on you and the team you are trying out for. If it is a strong team, it could be very hard to break in, if it’s weak, and you have some true skill, I’d say it will be a tough road.

Depending on the coach, some will not add a junior to their JV because they figure the JV is for the rising sophomores with potential and the Jrs. that play positions that are 2 to 3 deep on the Varsity.

Do every thing you can to sharpen your skills as fast as you can, and I personally think that weight lifting at this late hour may cause as many problems as benefits you’ll receive. If you are trying out for the outfield you need to be fast, hit for at least a high average if not with power, and have a strong arm. What I tell my guys is that you cannot get to many swings or too many balls hit to you. Hit the cage EVERY day, and have someone hit you fly ball several times a week. Make sure those fly balls are not just the routine type, make many in the gap where it takes all you have to get to it; play short and have some hit way over your head; then play deep and have some hit short. The better you are at running down those balls the more you’ll impress the coaches. Then when you get in the cage, hit the ball hard!

And as important, know what to do with the ball when you get it, where do you throw it, when do you throw to the bag, when do you hit the cut off man, who is the cut off man, where would you throw it in different situations.

If you're going out for the infield, take ground balls till it hurts; hard hit, soft grounders, in the hole, to the left and right, bunts, etc. Where do you go in each situation.

Knowing the game is as important being able to play your position.

Good luck
Last edited by obrady

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