High School Baseball--- Tryouts Just Around the Corner!

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"So anyway, when are other schools starting? "

C'mon up our way smalltownmom and you'll hear some sounds that will really have you scratching your head.

Close your eyes and stand next to our batting cages. Whatdya' hear? Never heard a racket like that before? Sounds like the garbage man working his way up the street? Close.

It's one of these...



catching a four seam snowball right in the sweet spot!




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We've been raking leaves down here. I do need to come your way sometime though, as our children have NEVER seen snow. I know they would love an old fashioned snowball fight. Son just left to go throw in shorts and a T-shirt.

Mid-March for us here in Connecticut. Organized (but not school related) workouts are underway. Indoors for the most part.

It is 50 degrees and I've suggested to Two Tex Jr that it would be a good day to throw outside. We will see.

We start officially(tryouts)February 8th with most kids starting unofficial workouts tomorrow.

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"...our children have NEVER seen snow."

Snow really is quite beautiful when you're just one-on-one...you know flake to flake.



But if you get a whole bunch of 'em ganging up on you it's not pretty...





Of course there are devices for putting 'em in their place!




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In OH, high school pitchers and catchers report February 21, position players on March 7. Season starts March 28. We are permitted 28 regular season games. Sectionals begin May 7, State Tournament finishes up June 4, weather permitting.

There have been many years when our first time outside is our first game. Kinda hard to judge who can catch a fly ball in a gym!

Iowa's official start date is May 2cd. "Unofficial" indoor workouts are already under way.

Was anyone aware that Iowa is the only State that plays it's HS season in the summer, both boys(baseball) and girls(softball). It's mind boggling!

quote:

Originally posted by legendscoach:
Iowa's official start date is May 2cd. "Unofficial" indoor workouts are already under way.

Was anyone aware that Iowa is the only State that plays it's HS season in the summer, both boys(baseball) and girls(softball). It's mind boggling!

I did not know that. In Texas the regular season is over by May 2 and the playoffs are starting.

quote:

Originally posted by legendscoach:
Iowa's official start date is May 2cd. "Unofficial" indoor workouts are already under way.

Was anyone aware that Iowa is the only State that plays it's HS season in the summer, both boys(baseball) and girls(softball). It's mind boggling!

That is mind boggling. I was feeling very sorry for my self reading the Florida start dates ... but MAY??? In CT we do start mid march with practices but it is often in the last of spring snow! Can't wait for those 1st chilly games!!

We start conditioning the 4th the first day back from break (Jan 4th), and tryouts/practices on the 17th. I love Florida.

quote:

Originally posted by MarlinsMS_35:
We start conditioning the 4th the first day back from break (Jan 4th), and tryouts/practices on the 17th. I love Florida.

Indeed, all the kids will be working out starting tomorrow, then the tryouts will be in 2 weeks.

Wow! I didn't know about Iowa's start date either. Do you run into conflicts with summer showcase tournaments? What a bummer. Our kids continued conditioning 2 days weekly after fall ball, and will continue that until tryouts on the 17th. I find OH's schedule interesting.

quote:

Originally posted by legendscoach:
Iowa's official start date is May 2cd. "Unofficial" indoor workouts are already under way.

Was anyone aware that Iowa is the only State that plays it's HS season in the summer, both boys(baseball) and girls(softball). It's mind boggling!

Doesn't this go back to needed the kids for farming? I think I read that somewhere....

The boys do conditioning now, and a hitting league on sat. for school, but officially p/c report second week of March. So about 10 weeks to go....

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"Doesn't this go back to (when they) needed the kids for farming?"

His boys are really working him...I can only imagine how this Dad was counting down the days until the start of the season!

quote:

Originally posted by smalltownmom:
Florida's HS practices can officially start 1/17. We're excited. Son took a long throwing break this year in preparation for a very full year. (HS, summer, and fall) He has been throwing the past few weeks, but today he's throwing his his first flat ground bull pen since the fall season ended the last weekend of October. Our region this year will be tough-- will be facing several highly ranked players and teams. The kids are really looking forward to it. When you drive past the HS field, there seems to be activity in the batting cages nonstop. First game is mid February. So anyway, when are other schools starting? I loved hearing some of the baseball reports last season, and hope they continue. Good luck to all the HS ballplayers in 2011!!

SmTownMom, have old HS mates that have kids at Pace in the Fl. Panhandle that took 5A state last year, hearing they will be good again. Best of luck to your son.

Missouri high schools won't start practicing until Monday February 28th. Games will officially begin the last weekend of March. Our "district" playoff's begin in mid-May. Our school also takes a spring break trip to Florida the third week of March for some preseason practice games and team bonding. Kind of a quasi mandatory thing that they have done for several years. It will end up costing us around $1,000.00 (player airfare, team condo, additional meals, misc expenses, etc...Mom and dad are also going and we stay in a seperate hotel (team stays together in condo's) which will be another $1,500.00 (airfares, hotel, meals, etc...)I guess we could send our 2013 on his own (not!) or drive twenty some hours or to save some bucks but we're flying...

Our season starts the week of spring break, so no trips for this family!

January 31st here in SC. Pitchers started throwing routines yesterday (Jan. 3).

There was a time when doing farm chores was a perhaps a factor. Check out the movie, "The Final Season". It's the story about Norway Iowa's final baseball season and the amazing tradition of 20 State Championships. "Perfect Games" Bruce Kimm played there before his professional career.

Iowa's summer season gets in the way of a lot of things. One of the most difficult features is that for many players it is neccesary to plan a year ahead. They not only have the disadvantage of playing in northern weather, they basically have one less full season to show what they have. There are still players who can find a place to play after HS however they are not on the same time line as other states.

The whole concept of playing summer HS ball right now is in many ways tied in to Iowa's history of small towns and not only the needs of the family farm but the fact that many of the athletes in the small towns,played multiple sports. Summer baseball allowed more breathing room. It's way past the time to change it!!!
Gotwood4sale- Now that your done with my picture I would appreciate you putting it back in my family album

For high schools in Texas that have off season programs, the kids are pretty much on the field all year, every day weather permitting. With block scheduling at my son's school they just have to be wrapped up by the end of the class period, for them I think they're on the field every day from 2:00-3:30PM.

Once the season actually begins and the program shifts from off season to in season, they can practice beyond school hours (extra curricular). The shift takes place later this month (end of January), with the 1st varsity scrimmage scheduled for Feb 7th and the regular season starting on Feb 22nd.

It's my son's Senior year, and they start with a bang, opening up in the Texas Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. They normally play there every year but typically it's closer to the midpoint of the season. They have a 32 game regular season scheduled and then hopefully a deep run in the Texas 5A State playoffs. It will be fun!

quote:

Doubleday posted....They have a 32 game regular season scheduled and then hopefully a deep run in the Texas 5A State playoffs.

Wow, 32 games plus playoffs. Almost sounds like college! I think the max we can do in VA is 22 plus playoffs.

First official practice 1-24-11
State Finals May 14th

In Texas there are rules around the maximum # of total regular season games teams can play (tournaments, district games, out of district games. For my son's team, they will play 3 tournaments (Thur, Fri, Sat events) which will consist of 5 games each, 14 district games (8 team district with home and home vs. other 7 teams), and then 3 non-district single games.

The State playoff rounds consist of either a single game elimination or best 2 out of 3 (coaches need to agree or there's a coin toss to decide format). 128 teams begin play in the 5A State tourney, so you have to win 5 rounds to make it to the final 4 in Round Rock, TX (Austin suburb), where the final 4 play single game eliminations. The playoffs begin in early May and run until the 2nd week of June. If your team is lucky enough to make it to the final 4 they will play well over 40 games.

Actually SC did something a little different this year. Officially practices do start Jan 31st but the SCHSL allowed every school to have unlimited practices for the first three weeks of November. Most schools held regular practices with drill stations, infield, bp, etc. and then the third week split into two squads and played a 'best of' series. No tryouts and I think limited to returning JV /Varsity players. Very productive.

In Northern California, "conditioning started today" - players can be in "4th period PE - baseball" and work out during school hours. When the bell rings baseballs have to go down or the coaches need to leave so the players can practice on their own (wink-wink). Formal practice can begin on Feb 7th with first game/jamboree happening on Feb 19th. Season ends on 5/11 with playoffs beginning following week.

Now that Prime has moved on, which I'm grateful for, I know that I'm going to miss high school baseball. Not completely as we will still see some games and keep up with friends.

Georgia High School practice/tryouts begin Jan 30th. Formal conditioning program began on the first day of school in August. First of 26 Varsity regular season games can begin after Feb 20th.

Playoffs take five rounds, all best of three, to win state and are all contested in May. Potential for 41 games but usually ends up around mid 30's. They do play over Spring Break, usually in Florida, and all those games count towards the 26 regular season.

Michigan tryouts begin March 14. First game is March 23. State championship final game is June 18.

High school coaches can only work with up to 4 players at a time, maximum, during the off season.