Pitchers at college level

Son was a RHP 4 years.

1. Pitchers practice with the team before and during the season.

2. Very Few pitchers hit for themselves, probably less than 10%. They are preparing to pitch between games.

2. There are live scrimmages and bullpens during the season on off days, excluding Mondays, I think (NCAA D1). There are 4-5 games per week, so not much practice during the season. Mostly a 7-day schedule for starters getting ready for starts.

I am sure I missed a few things others can add.

The only things I'd add to Dad04's comments are:

During the season, the pitcher's job at practice is to "get his work in." What that means varies from day to day and from pitcher to pitcher depending on their role on the team so they are ready for their next game assignment.

Pitchers do some fielding practice--though less of it during the season than in the fall.

They are expected to help keep practices moving along by shagging flies and doing whatever else is needed, possibly including groundskeeping and mound grooming.

They follow the same schedule for morning conditioning and lifting (though with different workouts).

At many schools, weekend pitchers don't have to go to midweek away games. On those days, they just go to the ball field, get their work in and then go study and eat.

Thanks, very helpful.  Sounds like mostly the same

time commitment except maybe some travel time.

And I assume the coaches figure out the right balance
between practice and resting the arm too.  Pet peeve
I had in summer travel, our team never made a rotation,
nobody know when they were up and what to do between games,
as far as balancing arm health and practice.

I did forget the grounds keeping duties. If the field is natural turf, then the infield tarp will need to be moved often. Players generally use bad language regarding this activity.

Pet peeve...pitchers shagging....or running long distances.  This is baby sitting and little else.  

The one time I saw my sons first coach crazy, really went nuts, was during fall ball.  They got done with a scrimmage and each group broke up to do maintenance on their area.  Starters took care of the mound, pen guys took care of the pen, catchers took care of the plate....one of the catchers parents grabbed his bag for him out of the dug out as he was working on the plate area.  The HC saw a parent carrying a bag for a player and it hit the fan hard.  

Doesn't really relate to the question but it reminded me of this for some reason.  

Wait, you're saying a parent went into the dugout after a COLLEGE practice and picked up his kid's bag??   I would assume that would cause problems.   Most HS coaches would get mad if that happened....can't imagine any parent of a college player thinking that would be a good idea

Well, the catcher put the bag just outside the dug out.  It was a bag that had extra catching gear in it.  The parent took the bag to the storage shed thing and set it down....just trying to help I am sure.  

Yeah, very bad idea.  

Much cursing and yelling and running of wind sprints after that one.  

Regardless of what the pitchers do or don't do during practice, they are at all the practices the whole time.  The time commitment is pretty much the same.  I know for weight lifting, on my son's team, pitchers go Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings before school.  Position players go Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.  So, pitchers go one less day.  Other than that, everyone is at every practice.

What do they do in practice?  They throw every day.  They run, sprints or medium distance.  They shag fly balls during BP.  I've even seen my son play 1st base for the infielders during BP.  They'll do drills from the mound.  Covering 1st base, fielding bunts, covering the plate on passed balls.  All the things pitchers have worked on since they started pitching.  They do whatever they can to stay busy.  And did I mention, they throw?  Once most of the general preparation is done early in the fall in terms of getting in shape, my son's team plays a lot of inter squad games.  Their practices are generally around 3 hours a day.  They'll start with getting loosened up.  Then do the same things they'd do during pre-game.  Take ground balls, take fly balls, take BP.  Then they split into 2 teams and play a game.  They'll do this probably 3 times a week.  

In the spring, they are generally playing or practicing 6 or 7 days per week.  Last season my son did not have a day off from baseball for the 1st 6 weeks of the season.  It is a tough road and if you don't love what you are doing, you will quickly decide you don't want to do it anymore...

College baseball is for big boys. Parents need to leave that stuff way behind.

"We want the guys who drink from the water hose, not the guys whose mommy brings them powerade." -Tony Robichaux Louisiana Lafayette

Oh for sure.  

Just a parent who doesn't get it.  I stopped carrying stuff for my kid in little league, but, it was the coaches response that made me laugh.  You would have thought it was the end of the world.  I get why he reacted that way however.  

Now that is loyalty to a sponsor. Robichaux won't even say the word "Gatorade" (owned by PepsiCo) since his school has a relationship with Coca-Cola (who owns Powerade). I respect that.