BYB House Leagues
Batavia Youth Baseball's recreational house league runs in the spring and fall and is open to any child from Kindergarten through Junior year of high school.
To play on a BYB team, players must reside within BYB's service boundaries, or be attending a Batavia school (public or private).
SPRING
While “opening day” differs from league to league, all leagues end no later than July 20th for the Spring season.
FALL
Fall ball runs from mid-August through the end of October for all leagues.
FIELDS
Fields are located all across Batavia. See the field locations page under the resources section of our website for more details on specific fields.
PLAYER PLACEMENT GUIDELINES
INSTRUCTIONAL/ROOKIE – Assigned to teams by league president (geographically by town quadrants and schools as best possible)
MINOR/MAJOR/PONY – Skills evaluated by prior season’s coaches, then draft/lottery
COLT – Skills evaluated by prior season’s coaches, then assigned to competitive or recreational team
HOUSE LEAGUE PLAY-UP POLICY
Mandatory Age-Group Registration: All players must first register for their age-appropriate house league division.
Next Level Only: Players are eligible to “play up” from their current house league to the single next house league level only (e.g., Instructional to Rookie, Rookie to Minors).
Grade Restrictions: Only 4th graders may play up in Majors, and only 6th graders may play up in Pony.
Colt Division: Pony players may not play up in Colt. The Colt division serves players through their Senior year/12th Grade.
Seasons: This policy applies to both the Spring and Fall house league seasons.
Separate Play Up Registration: Evaluation for moving up requires a separate registration and a $30 fee for the tryout.
Request Deadline: Parents must formally request consideration and complete this process one month or more prior to the house league division draft.
Coaching References: Parents must secure 3 references from prior coaches who can vouch for the player's skills and ability to play up.
Evaluation Process: Players must participate in a tryout run by BYB trainers to evaluate hitting, fielding, throwing, and game awareness.
Placement Finality: If a player is moved up and struggles, they are expected to finish the season in the new division; they will not be sent back down to a lower division.
| League | Grade / Age | Base Path | Pitching Type | Placement Method | Primary Field Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instructional | K - 1st | 60' | Coach Pitch (Flex) | Geographic/School | JB Nelson, AGS #1, Braeburn |
| Rookie | 2nd | 60' | Intro Kid Pitch (Flex) | Geographic/School | Norm Miller, Braeburn |
| Minors | 3rd - 4th | 60' | Kid Pitch (Hardball) | Skills Eval & Draft | Piron & Bollow, Prairie-Lathem #2, AGS #2 |
| Majors | 5th - 6th | 70' | Kid Pitch (Restricted) | Skills Eval & Draft | Woodard, Oroni, AGS #2, Prairie-Lathem #2 |
| Pony | 7th- 8th | 80' | Full Game Rules | Skills Eval & Draft | Striedl (RMS), Don Clark, Mooseheart |
| Colt | 9th - 12th | 90' | HS Rules | Skill Assessment | Don Clark, Mooseheart |
| Power | Ages 5 - 22 | 60' | Inclusive | Open Enrollment | Various Batavia Community Fields |
House Leagues Info
Instructional
(Kindergarten and 1st grade)
The Instructional league focuses on learning rather than competition; coaches pitch with a "flex" baseball. No scores are kept. The goal is to have fun and learn about baseball. Practices start late April / early May. Games start around Memorial day and go through approximately the second week in July. Games are held during the week and on Saturdays.
Rookie
ROOKIE LEAGUE
(2nd Grade)
The Rookie league focuses on the development of fundamental skills for fielding and hitting with the introduction of Kid Pitching. Coaches and Players pitch using a “flex” baseball. No scores are kept. The goal is to have fun and develop skills. Practices start early May. Games start around Memorial day and go through approximately the second week in July.
Minors
MINOR LEAGUE
(3rd and 4th Grade)
Instructional, but competitive league with players pitching hardballs. Scores and standings are kept; end of season playoff tournament is held. The goal is skill development while having fun. 60’ bases with stealing introduced. Practices start in April. The season will attempt to be completed by July 4th (weather permitting).
Majors
Major League
(5th and 6th Grade)
Instructional, but competitive league with restricted base stealing allowed. End of season playoff tournament is held. The goal is skill development while having fun. 70’ bases. Practices start in April. The season will attempt to be completed by July 4th (weather permitting).
Pony
PONY LEAGUE
(7th and 8th Grade)
Instructional, but competitive league. This is the last transition before official sized fields are used. Balks, leadoffs, base stealing are all in effect; end of season playoff tournament is held. 80’ bases. Practices start early April. The season will attempt to be completed by July 4th (weather permitting).
Colt
COLT LEAGUE (Freshmen - Juniors)
COLT LEAGUE (Seniors)
Regulation baseball on regulation sized fields (90 foot bases and 60 foot, 6 inches pitcher’s mound). Compete against other community teams in either a competitive or recreational league (based on skill assessment). Illinois high school rules. Metal cleats allowed. Practices start late May/early June.
Opportunity for Juniors to play-up at the Senior level (as needed).
Power League
POWER LEAGUE
(AGES 5 – 22)
The Batavia Power League is a league for baseball players ages 5-22 with a variety of special needs on and off the field. Weekly practices focus on teamwork and basic skill building, while weekly games focus on what it means to compete with emphasis on how to win and how to lose. Power League aims to be an inclusive league while improving all baseball skills needed to participate in league play and encompasses the enjoyment that comes with being a part of the game.