Welcome to HCYP Recreational Baseball

Spring Baseball Information Page (click here for Fall)

Spring 2024 Registration is OPEN!!!

Our rec baseball program is designed for all players of all skills ranging in age from 5 to 18

Rookie (Ages 5-6) and Pinto (Ages 7-8)

Rookie and Pinto divisions are our instructional, coach pitch league. For many of our kids, it is their first introduction to organized sports. The players are encouraged to try as many positions as possible, given that safety is not an issue. Team standings are not kept so winning is not a highlighted goal in this league. The teams practice once a week and play one game each week. Fundamentals and the basic rules of the game are introduced in this league. Reduced Injury Factor balls (RIF 1 and 5) are used to improve the confidence of our newest players. Besides learning the basics of baseball, this league is a great introduction to participating as a part of a team. While these guys and gals may be little, their games can be a real treat to watch. Check one out sometime!

How Teams are Formed

In order to establish teams at the Rookie and Pinto levels, we try to accommodate requests from parents for specific coaches and playing with friends. We must also take into consideration the need to keep teams as even as possible. We will first look at requests by parents to be placed with particular coaches and/or to be placed with other participants. Then we will attempt to group kids based on which school they are attending. Please keep in mind that while we are able to accommodate many requests, it is impossible to accommodate all requests. If your request is not granted, please keep in mind that almost all registrants make a request to be placed on a specific team or with specific friends. With almost 30 teams and almost 400 players, it is impossible to grant all requests.

Rookie Practices and Games

All rookie teams will practice one day during the week (Monday thru Friday) at a local Howard County school or park field. Practice days and times are chosen by our volunteer coaches and start around the first week in March. There are 10 scheduled games during the season and all games are 90 minutes long and are held at Kiwanis Park. Games are held every Saturday and start times are either 9am or 5pm.

Pinto Practices and Games

All pinto teams will practice on Saturday's at a local Howard County school or park field. Practice times and locations are chosen by our volunteer coaches. There are 10 scheduled games during the season and all games are 120 minutes long and are held at Kiwanis Park. Games are typically scheduled one day a week on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday and all start times are at 5:15pm.

Little Leage - International, Minor, and Major (Ages 9-12)

One of the coolest and most unique features of HCYP rec baseball is the flexibility we have with our Little League program. Kids who are ages 9-12 participate in this program for four years. This program has three leagues which means a child who plays all four years in this program will get to play in one league for two years.

International is set for kids ages 9-10, bases are 60' apart and the pitching rubber is at 44'
Minor is set for kids ages 10-11, bases are 60' apart and the pitching rubber is at 46
Major is set for kids ages 11-12, bases are 70' apart and the pitching rubber is at 50

Well, which league does a particular player spend two years in? The answer is the ultimate manager’s answer to every question under the sun: “It depends!”

How Teams are Formed

When a player who is new to Little League first comes to HCYP or is new to International, they are evaluated and “drafted” into an organization (e.g. Cubs). That child will stay in that organization throughout his/her time in Little League. Note, parents can request to have their child redrafted to a new organization if desired. If the player is 9 years old, then he/she will be placed onto an organization’s International team. If a player is 12 years old, he/she will be placed onto the Major league team. For 10 and 11 year olds parents can select from the divisions that are available (e.g. for a 10 year old they can choose International or Minor, and for an 11 year old Minor or Major). It is best for parents to select the division that is most appropriate for the skill level of the player. For example, if a 10 year old is in the earlier stages of building their skills, then they are likely best suited for an International team. An 11 year old who has played a lot of ball and has a high skill level is likely best suited for a Major team. During the first few practices coaches may make recommendations to parents to move players from one division to another. Also, if an organization does not have enough available slots for a player, they may be redrafted to a new organization (example if a Major team of a given org already has enough 12 year olds to fill a team then any 11 year olds who want to play Major will need to move to another org. The ability for parents to self select 10 or 11 year olds into the division of their preference is new for 2022 and will be conducted on a trial basis.

The Season

For our International through Major teams, the spring season is divided into three parts: pre-season, regular season, and the playoffs. The pre-season begins once the drafts are over and our spring maintenance day has prepared the fields for play. This 3 to 4 week time frame is when the players come to know each other, fundamentals are reviewed, and the dust is knocked off both gloves and skills. The regular season consists of 15 games with one or two during the weekdays and one on Saturdays. Makeup games are played on Sunday afternoons or during the week if possible. The league commissioners work very hard to re-schedule as many games as possible. A double elimination tournament is scheduled for each league at the end of the season.

Another great aspect of this setup is that siblings are by default placed into the same organization unless otherwise requested. The majority of an organization’s games are played at the same time. So whether siblings are on an International, Minor, or Major league team, they will play many of their games at the same time. This benefit of HCYP makes many parents very happy!

New for 2022, we are also piloting a "friend freeze" for our International through Colt orgs. The friend freeze is the equivalent of a sibling freeze, and will allow two friends to request to be placed on the same team with each other or in the same org. To initiate the friend freeze, when registering the parents of each set of friends must request the other friend as their friend freeze in the appropriate field. Non-matching requests will not be honored. The goal of the friend freeze is to allow some flexibility in player placement for situations such as carpooling, while also striving to maintain a competitive balance through our draft process.

Practices and Games

Each team will have 1 practice during the week at a local park or school field. Practices times are selected by our coaches AFTER the season starts and we receive our field permits from the county. Since practice assignments cannot happen until we have the county permits AND our season starts BEFORE this happens, we are unable to accommodate any requests for practice days/times.

ALL teams will play 1 game on Saturday and will play 1 or 2 games during the week - for a total of 15 games (weather permitting) for the regular season.

Pony (Ages 13-14) and Colt (Ages 15-18)

Pony

This league is setup for players who are 13 or 14 years old. The base paths are set at 80 feet and the pitching rubber is 54 feet from home plate. In Pony, players are re-drafted each year allowing the players the opportunity to make many different friends. The manager is allowed to keep his/her own kid(s) as well as one assistant’s child, but everyone else is re-drafted each year. Full MLB rules are followed and all MLB pitches are allowed (curves, etc.). One pitcher may go 3 innings, but each team still needs to develop a number of pitchers as Pony games are 7 innings long.

Colt

This league is setup for players 15-18 years old. Some of our Colt players play on high school teams as well. Games are played at Kiwanis Wallas Park. Full MLB rules apply including the base paths (90 feet) and pitching rubber distance (60 feet).

How Teams are Formed

Pony players are drafted to new teams each year. Coach requests or playing with other players are not honored though some coaches do take those comments into account during the draft.

Colt players go through an evaluation each year which is scheduled in the March time frame. Players are drafted to new teams each year. Coach requests or playing with other players are not honored though some coaches do take those comments into account during the draft.

Practices and Games

Both our Pony and Colt divisions practice one night during the week and will play 1 or 2 games during the week and 1 or 2 games on the weekend. The Colt division will only play games on the weekend when HS baseball teams are active. Once the HS season is over, games will be scheduled during the week also.

Age Determination

Spring Season - Age of player as of 8/31 of that current year (ex. Spring 2023 season players age as of 8/31/2023)

Fall Season - Age of player as of 8/31 the following year (ex. Fall 2023 season players age as of 8/31/2024)