REGISTER HERE
Click above link to register
for Baseball and/or T-Ball
Registrations are OPEN February 1st through April 1st.
Free Pre-Season Clinic:
Saturday, March 30th
10:45am-12:15pm
Available to all Gilford and Gilmanton ROOKIE players.
Sneakers, helmet, glove, bat required. No jeans.
Registration link above.
Gilmanton Youth Baseball is part of the nationally known and respected District 1 Cal Ripken Baseball Organization. The league consists of: Franklin, Newfound, Belmont, Merrimack Valley, Inter-lakes and Laconia. Home games are played at both GYO and Gilford baseball diamonds. T-Ball teams do not travel and play all games locally at GYO Park. New for 2023, all baseball and T-Ball registrations will be done through Gilford Sports Connect. Late registrations will be accepted, please reach out to our baseball coordinator directly as needed.
Practices start early to mid-April depending on the division (and weather / field condition).
Games are anticipated to start the last Saturday in April through mid-June.
Players can participate in T-Ball, Rookies (Coaches Pitch), Minors, and Majors.
T-Ball are children ages 4-6 years old (must be 4 before 9/1/20)
Rookies are children ages 6-8 years old
Minors are children ages 8-10 years old
Majors are children ages 11-13 years old (must NOT be 13 before 5/1/2023)
**If there is a question about skill / ability and unsure of division, please register based on ages listed above and attend the majors or minors evaluations. We want to pair the child and the division / skill level based on safety. Player safety is always our top priority and we strive to put players in a situation where they can enjoy the game without fear of injury.
T-Ball (ages 4 - 6)
Practice is one weekday night, with all games played on Saturdays at GYO Park. Learn hitting and fielding fundamentals in a supportive team environment. Young athletes hit the ball from a batting tee which is height-adjusted for better swings, batting in order through the line-up for the entire game. In order to participate, players must be age 4 as of September 1, 2022, no exceptions are allowed.
Minimum Required Skills: None
Equipment: T-Ball players will need a baseball glove. Children are encouraged to bring their own helmet but one can be assigned to them, if needed. Bats must be stamped with a T-Ball stamp. Cleats are optional for this age group.
Practices are held one weeknight per week, based upon coach availability. Games are Saturday mornings starting at 8:00 am, and each game is comprised of three innings, lasting about 30 minutes.
The T-Ball player is ready to move up to the Rookie division when: The player will still likely miss more balls than they catch, but there should be some ability to catch a ball thrown from a short distance directly at the player.
Rookie Division (ages 6 - 8 as of May 1)
Practice is one to two week day nights (TBD by coach), with games played on week nights and weekends against surrounds towns. Coaches pitch to the batters in the Rookie division, allowing for more hittable balls at the plate and more action in the field. The Rookie league emphasizes learning the rules of baseball and provides competition against other towns to prepare them for the next level.
Minimum Required Skills:
Catching - First year players will miss or drop many thrown balls. Second and third year players should show improvement and catch at least 50% of accurate thrown balls.
Throwing – Should be able to throw 20 feet
Batting - None
The Rookie player is ready to move up to the Minor division when: Player demonstrates ability to catch most thrown balls, stands at the plate with confidence, without bailing out when facing live pitching. Should have consistent success making contact against a coach pitched ball. The player should have adequate focus and attention during games from all positions.
Equipment: Rookie players will need a baseball glove. Children are encouraged to bring their own helmet but one can be assigned to them, if needed. See bat restrictions below. Cleats are encouraged but not required.
Game and practice schedule to be determined.
Minor Division (ages 8 - 10 as of May 1)
Players build and refine their fundamental skills while beginning to understand game strategy and teamwork. Features a 46’ pitching distance and 60’ base paths. Games are pitched by players.
Minimum Required Skills:
Catching - 67% of thrown balls
Throwing - From second base position to first base with accuracy and enough quickness to beat a runner.
Fielding - Should be able to field most direct ground balls. May still have difficulty with catching and tracking fly balls.
Batting - Correct stance and approach to the plate. Has general knowledge of the strike zone. Does not back out of batters box on all thrown pitches.
The Minors player is ready to move up to the Majors division when: Player demonstrates ability to catch all thrown balls. Shows solid fundamentals in fielding, throwing, and batting. Has confidence batting against any Minor division player pitcher.
Equipment: Minors players will need a baseball glove. Children are encouraged to bring their own helmet but one can be assigned to them, if needed. See bat restrictions below. Cleats are required.
Game and practice schedule to be determined.
Majors Division (ages 11 - 13 as of May 1)
Features a 46’ pitching distance and 60’ base paths.
Minimum Required Skills:
Catching - Catches all thrown balls.
Throwing - From third base position to first base with speed and accuracy.
Fielding - Should be able to field all direct ground and fly balls. Tracking fly balls may still be difficult for some.
Batting - Correct stance and form. Shows confidence facing player pitchers throwing 45+MPH.
Equipment: Majors players will need a baseball glove. Children are encouraged to bring their own helmet but one can be assigned to them, if needed. See bat restrictions below. Cleats are required.
Game and practice schedule to be determined.