The following questions and answers should help you prepare and plan for the 2011-12 Baseball Season. If you have additional questions, please send them by email to: mibaseball2012@aol.com:
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1. When are tryouts?
a. Tryouts begin Monday Feb. 27. Opening day of baseball activities (including tryouts) is set by the WIAA. Typically, tryouts last 3-4 days and are held at Island Crest Park fields for all players and teams (depending on weather, some portions of tryouts may be moved to an indoor facility on the Island). Teams will be announced by email as well as posted at the high school on the morning of the 3rd or 4th day of the tryout week, followed by a parent meeting with the coacheson Thursday 3/1 at 6:30 PM in the MIHS Librar Presentation Room.
2. How many teams/players are there in the program?
a. MIHS baseball fields 3 teams each year: Varsity, JV, and a ‘C Team’. The Varsity is the highest level of the teams in the program and usually includes mostly upper classmen, although each year typically a few underclassmen either make the Varsity at the beginning of the season or are added to the roster (based on their level of play on JV or C team) during the season. JV is generally comprised of sophomores and juniors as well as a few of the top Freshmen in any given year. The C team is mostly comprised of Freshmen, although it is possible that a Sophomore who the coaches feel needs more playing time and/or skill development may be placed on the C team as well.
b. In general the total number of available spots for the 3 teams combined has been between 45 and 50, or approximately 15-17 players per team.
3. What is status of Spring Break and should Freshmen plan to be here that week or not? (for vacation planning purposes)?
a. From Coach Smith: "Varsity and JV players are expected to make the commitment for 2.5 months and be at all practices and games. If they choose to miss, then they will lose playing opportunities when they're gone and when they return". Freshman (C Team) rules about Spring break are set by that team’s coach each year, but they generally follow the same rules as the Varsity and JV teams.
4. When does season start and is it assumed kids will not play at all with their summer teams during the HS season?
a. The actual season will begin approximately 1 week to 10 days after tryouts begin, or about the 2nd week of March. Teams may scrimmage with other schools and/or take part in an organized jamboree event prior to the actual start of the season. All schedules are always subject to weather and you should expect schedule changes during the first few weeks of the season.
b. Players should absolutely not expect to play or workout with their summer teams during the high school season. Most summer coaches agree and respect this rule completely. The high school season for all teams includes practices and/or games 5 days a week at a minimum, and for Varsity and JV usually 6 days a week. Players need to be dedicated to the instruction and playing style of their HS coaches and teams without interference from others during the season. Also, our coaches spend a great deal of time and effort preparing the players physically for the season in order to prevent injury, fatigue, etc. and any outside additional workouts (especially for pitchers) will cause unnecessary overuse of the players’ bodies. Finally, players should be 100% dedicated to being part of a team and a program at MIHS, and any outside additional workouts can make a player tired or otherwise unable to perform at his peak for the MIHS program.
5. Roughly when does season end.
a. The regular season for Varsity baseball as well as the other teams usually ends about the 2nd week in May. Varsity teams can expect to participate in league, district and (hopefully) state playoffs which may last through the end of May. JV/C teams do not have any playoffs, but historically a few of the best performing players from JV have been ‘called up’ to join the Varsity during their playoff run.
6. Are players cut from the baseball program or all players who tryout placed on a team?
a. Historically, very few players have been ‘cut’ from the program each year mostly because the number of total players trying out has not exceeded the available spots on the 3 teams by a great number. Players who are cut from the program are given a review from one of the coaches as to the reasons for the decision and some suggestions as to where their skills and/or efforts need to improve.
b. IMPORTANT: The coaching staff expects there to be more players cut from the baseball program than in past years during the upcoming 2012 season for the following reasons:
i. The coming season will be the most competitive for MIHS baseball in many years. The program has reached the district playoffs for the past 3 years, including the State playoffs in 2010, and the program is on the rise in terms of talent, off-season work efforts, and reputation.
ii. We have strong leadership and talent returning to the Varsity, and both the JV and C teams this past year had very successful seasons and those players will compete for positions at the highest levels. Also, we expect a large and talented Freshman class to take part in tryouts this season and push upperclassmen for playing time as well.
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