2023 TRAVEL BASEBALL REGISTRATION

Registration is now CLOSED for the competitive (non-recreational) baseball teams that will be representing WBSI & Watchung Little League in the 2023 Spring & Summer Seasons.

TRYOUTS ARE CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS AND RESULTS WILL BE POSTED BY NOVEMBER 2022.

§  This is NOT registration for the Spring Rec season

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

§  Player's eligible age is determined by the player’s age as of April 30, 2023.  For example, if your son or daughter is 8 and turns 9 after April 30, 2023, they can participate in the 8U evaluations and be placed on an 8U team.  A player who turns 9 on April 30, 2023 would only be able to participate on the 9U team. To address some issues over the last year, players will be eligible to try out for two age brackets (their eligible year and one bracket above).  A player can only be placed on a team if they attended the tryout.   A full breakdown of age groups can be found at the end of the memorandum. 

§  Participation in the Travel Tryouts is mandatory for all players who wish to be placed on a Travel team.  The only exception is a player who is in attendance, but is injured and cannot participate.

§  Players are required to register and actively participate (75% or more) in the 2023 Spring Recreation Season to play Travel baseball.

§  Previous participation in the Travel Program is not a prerequisite for participation in the 2023 Travel Program nor does it guarantee the player a roster spot.

COMMITMENT:

§  The Travel baseball program is a competitive-level program which requires commitment from both the player, and the player's family.  Teams may participate in holiday tournaments throughout the Spring and Summer season (i.e. - Memorial Day, 4th of July), and depending on the league or tournaments that the team participates in, may have multiple games in a weekend, or in one day.

§  Frequent schedule changes are to be expected due to weather and changing dates in leagues and tournaments, so players and parents must plan to be flexible.  Prompt and regular attendance is a must for all Travel players.  Parents must plan summer vacations to avoid conflict with practices and games.

§  Participation in another spring sport is not prohibited, however, priority must be given to the Travel baseball program.

§  Due to the time commitment required, players will not be permitted to join a Travel Team if they play on a ‘club’ team during the same period.

§  The coaches for each age group will decide if the team will participate in the Cal Ripken District Tournament, held at the end of June and any other tournaments through the year. Any team advancing to the state tournament will be expected to participate, which is held in early July.

§  Club baseball involvement has increased over the past 10 years and in order to combat that, WBSI is committed to putting together the most competitive teams with the most committed players. There is no substitute for playing for your town with your friends and WBSI strives to continue this tradition with our children by rewarding hard work, dedication and skill. 

TEAM FORMATION

§  Travel teams will be formed at each age group depending on the number of players, the skill level of the players, and the availability of Coaches and Managers.   The teams will be organized by color – Blue and Gray

§  Teams are limited to 11 or 12 players, the decision to take 11 vs 12 is at the coach's discretion.

§  Not all players may make a travel team, though every effort will be made to accommodate the maximum number of players into the travel program.

§  Tryouts will be conducted by independent evaluators along with league volunteers.  Players will be placed on a team based on the tryout results from outside evaluators and input from league coaches and prior year’s performance.   

§  The travel program is focused on forming competitive teams at each age bracket.

FEES

§  The fees for travel baseball will cover winter training (~ $200-300), uniforms (~$75) and league/tournament fees (~$500 and variable based on which leagues and tournaments the team enters). 

§  Tournaments Typically cost $50-$75 per player and more competitive teams may play in 3-5 tournaments throughout the year.

§  In addition, some Travel teams in the older age groups may also elect to participate in out of state, high-profile tournaments (e.g. Cooperstown, Ripken Experience, Sports at the Beach, Hershey, Perfect Game, Diamond Nation, etc.) that may require additional fees and which may involve multiple-day travel.

§  WBSI/WLL strives to make our travel program accessible to any family that wishes to participate - financial assistance may be available if needed. 

TRYOUTS

Tentative Tryout schedule is as follows:

§  TRYOUT DATES WERE SENT TO REGISTRANTS ONLY - IF YOU DID NOT REGISTER, YOU CANNOT TRYOUT SO PLEASE DO NOT SHOW UP AS WE WILL HAVE TO TURN YOUR CHILD AWAY DUE TO LIABILITY ISSUES.

AGE GROUPS

§  7U:  Players with birthdays between May 1st, 2015 - April 30th, 2017

§  8U:  Players with birthdays born on or after May 1st, 2014

§  9U:  Players with birthdays born on or after May 1st, 2013

§  10U:  Players with birthdays born on or after May 1st, 2012

§  11U:  Players with birthdays born on or after May 1st, 2011

§  12U:  Players with birthdays born on or after May 1st, 2010

§  13U:  Players with birthdays born on or after May 1st, 2009

§  14U:  Players with birthdays born on or after May 1st, 2008

QUESTIONS

 

If you have any questions, Warren residents should contact Chris D’Annunzio and Shaun Fine at officers@warrenbaseballsoftball.com;  Watchung residents should contact Jack Griffith at jackofalltrades21@gmail.com;

An Important Message From Mike Ohlson, WBSI President

The Warren Municipal Baseball & Softball Fields will be undergoing a much needed renovation this summer, starting the week of June 13th.

CLICK HERE for more details and what to expect.

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KEY CHANGES TO NOTE FOR THE SUMMER OF 2022:

• All Warren Municipal Baseball & Softball Fields will be unplayable.
• The Summer Travel program softball teams will play games away or at the Warren Middle School, Greenwood Meadows or Mobus Field in Watchung, NJ.
• The Summer Travel program baseball teams will play games away or at Watchung Philips Fields or the Warren Middle school.

June 4, 2022

Recreation Baseball & Softball Playoffs are this week - June 6th!

Check TeamSnap for your team's playoff game details. All teams participate and are single elimination rounds. The final day for any playoff games is Saturday, June 11th.

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June 5, 2022

Another great win for the Watchung Hills Warriors 8U Blue Travel Team! USABL 2022 East Coast Clash Champions

Congratulations to the 8U Blue team, sweeping the competition and bringing home back-to-back wins as tournament champs.

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May 31, 2022

Congratulations to the Watchung Hills Warriors 8U Blue & 12U Blue Travel Teams! USABL 2022 Memorial Day Classic Champions

Both of our 8U Blue and 12U Blue teams took home the tournament champion win for the USABL Memorial Day Classic this year. Is your child interested in playing on a travel team for Spring 2023? Contact WBSL for more information: officers@warrenbaseballsoftball.com

2022 8U Blue Warriors	2022 12U Blue Warriors

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WBSI Take on the Yankees June 16th

Watch for an email with details on how to accept your digital tickets - you must have the 'MLB Ballpark' app on your phone to receive the tickets for your family. No paper tickets will be distributed.

Be prepared! Click here to learn more about digital ticketing and creating an account to accept your Yankees tickets.

 

2022 SPRING RECREATIONAL BASEBALL & SOFTBALL

Warren Baseball & Softball, Inc. (WBSI) offers baseball and softball leagues for children ages 4-15. Youth baseball and softball provide an exciting opportunity for children to make friends, be part of a team, learn sportsmanship, and above all, have fun!

Our 2022 season will start in early April and end in mid-June. 

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BASEBALL DIVISIONS
T-Ball: Pre-K and Kindergarten boys & girls		AAA Minors: 3rd & 4th Grade – Kid pitch
Rookie: 1st & 2nd Grade – Coach pitch		Majors: 5th & 6th Grade – Kid pitch
AA Minors: 2nd & 3rd Grade – Kid & Coach pitch		Seniors: 7th to 9th Grade – Kid pitch

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SOFTBALL DIVISIONS
Pigtails: K & 1st Grade – Coach pitch		Majors: 4th & 5th Grade – Kid pitch
Minors: 2nd & 3rd Grade – Kid & Coach pitch		Seniors: 6th to 8th Grade – Kid pitch

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We are always looking for volunteers to help with WBSI events and overall organization of our program. Please email officers@warrenbaseballsoftball.com for how you can help. WBSI is a nonprofit, volunteer organization and any support you can provide helps the children of our community.

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2022 Spring Recreation Season - Important Dates

• T-ball is open to boys and girls in pre-K and kindergarten.
• Softball is open to girls in K to 8th grade, who live in Warren, Watchung, or Green Brook.·       
• Baseball is open to boys in 1st to 9th grades.·       
• Buddy Ball, our special needs program, is open to individuals age 5-20.
• In addition to our spring recreation season, WBSI provides opportunities for players to participate in spring & summer travel baseball and softball, fall baseball, fall travel softball, and winter skill development clinics.
• Games and practices are held at the Warren Municipal Complex located at 99 Bardy Rd., as well as a host of baseball and softball fields in and around Warren.
• We rely on the support and contributions of volunteers and sponsors to make WBSI one of the best youth leagues in the area. There are many ways to get involved: as a coach, assistant coach, team parent, and sponsor. We all share a common thread – we do it for the kids!  
• WBSI is a charter member of Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth Baseball League since the 1990s and a member of the Middle Atlantic Region Babe Ruth League, Northern New Jersey, District 12.