BAA Baseball Program Overview
The Bloomington Athletic Association delivers fun, affordable, and safe youth sports experiences, fueled by our passionate volunteers. Our Baseball program provides kids of all ages the opportunity to develop in the areas of sportsmanship, teamwork, and strengthening motor skills all while having fun in a family-friendly atmosphere. Join us in keeping our national pastime alive and thriving!
Volunteers
For our baseball program, volunteers are needed as coaches, assistant coaches, scorekeepers, and some umpiring at the younger levels. Check-in at sign-ups / register as a coach online today!
COACHING: As always we are completely dependent on you as parents to help make this sport the best it can be by volunteering your time as a head coach, assistant coach, scorekeeper, or umpire. What better way to be involved with your children than to be a part of their team during the season? Without you, we cannot run this program!
BAA Weekend
BAA Weekend delivers a super fun playing experience for our Instructional through Midget levels with each team playing two games on a premier field. Gather up the entire family and friends to watch the kids play! BAA weekend is typically the last weekend of May.
BAA Tournaments and Playoffs
BAA Playoffs and Tournaments are offered for Mites, Cubs, Midgets, Bantams, and Majors levels with an opportunity for the whole family to celebrate how the players and team made progress since the beginning of the season along with having some healthy competition. Parents/Guardians will be notified in advance on schedule, final playoff weekend is typically the last weekend of July.
Level Descriptions
| AGE GROUP | LEVEL |
| Kindergarten in Fall and 6-year, see below | Mini-Mites |
| Kindergarten - 1st grade | Instructional |
| 1st & 2nd grade | Mites |
| 3rd grade | Cubs |
| 4th & 5th grade | Midgets |
| 6th - 8th grade | Bantam |
| 9th - 12th grade | Majors |
| Baseball Contacts | All Levels |
Mini-Mites Baseball [ LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS ]
| Age Group | Children entering Kindergarten in Fall and 6-year olds without prior experience. Exceptions are made for 4 year-olds with foundational skills already built. |
| Experience | The fundamentals of running the bases, player positions, batting, fielding, and teamwork are introduced. |
| Game Fundamentals | There are no recorded scores or tournaments for this level. Coach-pitched, but a tee may be used. Each child receives up to five pitches from an adult pitcher. After the 5th strike, the batter will hit the ball off a tee. |
| Where | Baseball fields around Bloomington. |
| When | Early-June to Mid-July Saturday mornings at 10:00 AM. Parents must remain on-site with children during instruction and games. Rain-outs will not be made up. |
| Equipment | Every child receives a hat, shirt, and end-of-season medal. The team is provided with bats, balls, batting helmets, catchers gear, baseball tee, and bases. Each child needs to provide their own glove. |
| Registration / Fees | $95.00 (scholarships available for those needing assistance) |
Instructional Baseball [ LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS ]
| Age Group | Currently in Kindergarten – 1st grade (First graders may choose to play Instructional or Mite level. First graders new to the game are encouraged to play at the Instructional level). |
| Player Experience | To teach children the fundamental skills of baseball including running the bases, player positions, batting, fielding, and teamwork are introduced. |
| Game Fundamentals | All players bat during the inning regardless of the number of outs. Eleven children will play in the field at one time. There are no recorded scores, standings or tournaments for this league. Instructional is Coach-pitch. |
| Where | Baseball fields all around Bloomington. |
| When | A typical season starts at the end of April and ends in late July. Instructional league plays on weekday evenings on either Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday. |
| Equipment | Every child receives a hat, shirt, and end-of-season medal. The team is provided with: bats, balls, batting helmets, catchers gear, baseball tee, and bases. Each child needs to provide their own glove. |
| Registration / Fees | $95.00 |
Mites Baseball [ LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS ]
| Age Group | Currently in 1st and 2nd grade (1st graders may choose the Instructional level if new to the game). |
| Player Experience | To teach children the fundamental skills of baseball including running the bases, player positions, batting, fielding, and teamwork are introduced. |
| Game Fundamentals | Coach pitch from a distance of 40 feet. Standings are recorded and a season-ending tournament is played. |
| Where | Baseball fields around Bloomington. |
| When | A typical season starts at the end of April and ends in late July. Mites league plays on weekday evenings on either Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday with a few weekend games. |
| Equipment | Every child receives a hat, shirt, and end-of-season medal. The team is provided with: bats, balls, batting helmets, catchers gear, baseball tee, and bases. Each child needs to provide their own glove. |
| Registration / Fees | $125.00 |
Cubs Baseball [ LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS ]
| Age Group | Currently in 3rd grade. |
| Player Experience | To teach children the fundamental skills of baseball including running the bases, player positions, batting, fielding and teamwork are continued. |
| Game Fundamentals | Player and coach pitch. Standings are recorded and a season-ending tournament is played. 1st – 3rd innings will be coaches pitch similar to mites, however, strikes will be called by the paid umpire 4th – 6th innings will be kids pitch Pitching mound will be 40 feet (previously 45 feet) NEW 2019: Cub level will be a hybrid of coaches pitch (allowing a more focused instruction on hitting) and kids pitch at a closer distance than in the past. |
| Where | Baseball fields around Bloomington. |
| When | A typical season starts at the end of April and ends in late July. Cubs league plays on weekday evenings on either Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday with a few weekend games. Note that a few times during the year the Monday/Wednesday league will play on a Tuesday/Thursday and vice versa. |
| Equipment | Every child receives a hat, shirt, and end-of-season medal. The team is provided with: bats, balls, batting helmets, catchers gear, baseball tee, and bases. Each child needs to provide their own glove. |
| Registration / Fees | $125.00 |
Midgets Baseball [ LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS ]
| Age Group | Currently in 4th and 5th grade. |
| Player Experience | To teach children the fundamental skills of baseball including running the bases, player positions, batting, fielding and teamwork are continued. |
| Game Fundamentals | Player pitch. Standings are recorded and a season-ending tournament is played. Base distance 60 feet (previously 75 feet for the 5th graders) Pitching mound will be 45 feet (previously 52 feet for the 5th graders) |
| Where | Baseball fields around Bloomington. |
| When | A typical season starts at the end of April and ends in late July. Midgets league plays on weekday evenings on either Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday with a few weekend games. Note that a few times during the year the Monday/Wednesday league will play on a Tuesday/Thursday and vice versa. |
| Equipment | Every child receives a hat, pants, shirt, socks and end-of-season medal. The team is provided with: bats, balls, batting helmets, catchers gear, baseball tee, and bases. Each child needs to provide their own glove. |
| Registration / Fees | $125.00 |
Bantam Baseball [ LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS ]
| Age Group | Currently in 6th, 7th and 8th grade. |
| Player Experience | Continue development of baseball fundamentals with an emphasis on advancing technical skills. Sportsmanship and teamwork are central to the experience. |
| Game Fundamentals | Player pitch. Standings are recorded and a season-ending tournament is played. Base distance 75 feet (previously 90 feet for 7th graders and 8th graders) Pitching mound will be 52 feet (previously 60 feet for 7th and 8th graders) |
| Where | Baseball fields around Bloomington. |
| When | A typical season starts at the end of April and ends in late July. Bantams league plays on Tuesday/Thursday evenings with an occasional weekend game. |
| Equipment | Every child receives a hat, pants, shirt, socks and end-of-season medal. The team is provided with: bats, balls, batting helmets, catchers gear, baseball tee, and bases. Each child needs to provide their own glove. |
| Registration / Fees | $140.00 |
Majors Baseball [ LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS ]
| Age Group | Currently in 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grade |
| Player Experience | Once in High School, we continue to offer baseball for those players that want to continue with the fun of baseball into the summer. |
| Game Fundamentals | Standings are recorded and a season-ending tournament is played. |
| Where | Baseball fields around Bloomington. |
| When | A typical season starts mid-May and ends in late July. Majors league plays on Sunday/Monday/Wednesday evenings. |
| Equipment | Every child receives a hat, pants, shirt, and socks. The team is provided with: bats, balls, batting helmets, catchers gear, baseball tee, and bases. Each child needs to provide their own glove. |
| Registration / Fees | $140.00 |
CONTACTS:
BAA Baseball Level Directors |
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| Mini-Mites 5 as of upcoming Sept. 1 | OPEN | OPEN | OPEN |
| Instructional- M/W K - 1 grades | Einer Rasmussen | einer073@gmail.com | 612-801-0837 |
| Instructional- T/TH K - 1 grades | OPEN | OPEN | OPEN |
| Mites- M/W 1 - 2 grades | Kyle Dahlen | Kyle.dahlen@gmail.com | 952-270-2429 |
| Mites- T/TH 1 - 2 grades | Todd Abeln | todd_abeln@yahoo.com | 612-916-6169 |
| Cubs- M/W 3rd grade | Tim Grams | tgrams4@msn.com | 952-201-6279 |
| Cubs- T/TH 3rd grade | Steve Halpin | stevenrhalpin@aol.com | 952-905-0740 |
| Midgets 4 - 5 grade | Kent Jones | kent@encompassinc.com | 952-484-6318 |
| Bantams 6 - 8 grades | Alan Redding | alan.j.redding@gmail.com | 651-238-6889 |
| Majors 9 - 12 grades | Jim Sakara | jsakara@corporatefour.com | 612-978-1250 |
BAA Baseball Contacts |
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| Commissioner | Kent Lindell | baa.baseball.city.director@comcast.net | 952-830-1292 |
| Equipment Director | Chris Nicholson | BAAbaseballequipment@gmail.com | 612-363-2875 |
| Assistant Equipment Director | Mike Littmann | mlittmann@comcast.net | 952-844-0133 |
| Scheduler | Field Coordinator | Lindell's | BaaBaseballSupport@comcast.net | |
| Chief Umpire | Paul Falk | paulfa39@gmail.com | 612-564-UMPS (8677) |
| Umpire Coordinator | Jackie Gartland | jackie@bloomingtonumps.com | 612-564-UMPS (8677) |
| Administrator | Stephanie Nicholson | admin@baaonline.org | 952-373-1563 |
| BTBA- Bloomington Traveling Baseball Assn. | www.btba.org | ||
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