Hello! Thank you for your interest in UW’S Club Baseball Team! For more information on how to join and get on our email list, just click “Become a member” and not the dropdown.
Here’s some information regarding the club:
Time Commitment
- Fall semester: 1-2 practices a week with games on weekends until the weather forces us to shut it down for the offseason
- Spring semester: 1 practice a week until spring break in mid-March. Then 2 practices during the week with games on the weekend from end of March through end of school year.
- We are very flexible about school schedules. We expect players to have a commitment to the club, but acknowledge that school comes first. If you’re worried about not having the time, we have students from every major – pre-med, pre-law, business, engineering, art history, you name it – and everyone has found a way to work baseball in.
- We have numerous sophomores try out for the team saying they thought they wouldn’t have time freshman year. Don’t let this stop you! If you want to play ball, come play ball!
Teams:
We have two teams that compete in the NCBA – National Club Baseball Association. Like the NCAA, there is a DI, DII, and DIII levels. Our club currently has teams playing at the DI and DII levels. There are typically 20 players on each team.
Try-outs
Take place in the fall semester starting the second week of school. We traditionally have 60+ new players try-out each year for about 20 spots. Consist of 1 practice during the week with 1-2 games on the weekend. The coaches (former students who started the club baseball program) schedule a practice date every day of the week so that you can pick the date that works best for your schedule. You also get to pick the times that you would like to play on the weekend. They last until the end of September.
Being Part of the Team
Once you’ve made the team we try to practice outside (once a week) until the weather stops us from doing so. After that, the practice schedule eases up for the next couple months. We generally shut practices down for the “offseason” of November and December. Once back on campus in January, we start having practices at the indoor GRB facility in DeForest. We also use the McClain facility in Camp Randall where the football team practices. The actual club season begins with our team spring break trip in March, when we go to Tampa, FL.
Both our DI and DII teams play roughly the same amount of games, but against different teams. DII’s conference consists of NIU, Winona State, UW-Lacrosse, and UW-Stevens Point. DI’s conference consists of UWM, UW-Whitewater, Marquette, Northwestern, and UW-Eau Claire. Both teams are typically very competitive in their conferences. DI has won 7 years in a row and DII has won the last 3. Winning the conference allows you to go to the regional tournament. If you win the regional, your team makes the Club Baseball World Series. DI was last in the World Series in 2018 and DII is fresh off a berth in 2019.
Playing time is not equal for any of the teams, but coaches try to give guys plenty of chances to earn a spot. We play weekend series against other conference teams consisting of 3 conference games.
Facilities:
- Turf field at Near West (near UW Natatorium)
- GRB Academy in DeForest
- McClain Indoor Practice Field
- Ahuska Park in Monona
Competition Level
Club Baseball’s competition is somewhere between high school baseball and DIII collegiate baseball. Pitchers usually throw anywhere from low 70’s or low 80’s and lineups top to bottom are usually consistent. Competition at Regionals and the World Series is much better. Most teams have multiple players that were cut or released from their campus’s Varsity program. Our teams are usually competitive and many of our players could have played at least DIII baseball, but chose to go to Madison because of the educational opportunities offered by the university.
Cost
- Tryout fee: $25
- Semester Dues: $50 (this includes tryout fee first semester)
- Spring Break: $200 for 5 games and hotel accommodations. Players are on their own to get to Tampa. Most players fly, but our more bold players take the scenic 20 hour drive from Madison.
- Many of these costs can be offset through our fundraising efforts. The more active a player is in their fundraising, the less the player will need to pay.