Juniors
Junior Leagues
Eastern Suburbs Baseball Club welcomes children aged 6 years old and over to join our Club and come play baseball.
As a general guideline players fall into the following age groups:
| Age 6-8 | T-Ball |
| Age 8-10 | Machine-pitched baseball, Zooka |
| Age 10-16 | Player pitched baseball |
To align with the Little League age brackets globally, Baseball NSW player ‘league ages’ will with are determined by date-of-birth between 1st September to 31 August. Baseball NSW competitions are therefore based around a child’s ‘League Age’. To assist in determining your child’s League Age, Baseball NSW has a Player Age Matrix.
Registration is made via Gameday/ Passport, more information can be found on our Registration page.
Summer Season
Player registration opens early July.
Teams are finalised by late July, so please register early. Team and coach announcements are made at the start of August, and training commences later in the month.
Team training nights are either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursdays, with day and time being coordinated by your coach. Weekly training sessions are held at our Chifley baseball fields.
The summer season runs from early September to mid-December with a summer break and resumes in late January or early February through to March (including playoffs). Our Machine Pitch and above teams play in the Cronulla Sutherland Junior Baseball League. T-Ball is an in-house competition.
T-Ball (6-8 years)
T-Ball is a fun in-house competition run for younger and/or first time players. T-Ball is the perfect introduction to a summer sport for children where they will learn the fundamental skills of throwing and catching, skills they will retain for the rest of their lives.
During the season players will start by learning the basic skills of throwing, catching and hitting off a baseball tee. On Saturday game days, players will play games lasting 55 minutes. The games are designed so that everyone gets an opportunity to bat and field in every innings and the focus is purely on having fun and supporting the players in their love of the game.
Training and games are all played at our home fields in Chifley. Game times: Saturday’s 9.00am and 10am.
T-Ball Registration Fees $180.00 – $190.00inc.GST.
All players receive a free baseball glove, player t-shirt and club cap as part of their registration kit.
Little League, Machine-pitch Zooka (8-9 years)
Eastern Suburbs Junior Baseball teams play in the Cronulla Sutherland Junior Association competition, competing weekly with other registered Clubs.
Game days: Saturday, with start times and venues dependant on the CSJBA draw.
Little League, Machine-pitch Zooka Registration Fees $260.00 – $270.00inc.GST.
Little League, Minors (10-11 years)
Little League Minor is the players’ first introduction to player pitched baseball. Players are coached in pitching, catching and fielding skills.
Game days: Saturday, with start times and venues dependant on the CSJBA draw.
Little League, Minors Registration Fees $260.00 – $280.00inc.GST.
Beyond Little League Minor the players progress to larger fields and slightly modified rules, with each step becoming closer in playing adult rules of baseball.
Little League, Major (LLM) (10-12 years)
Little League Majors have developed more skills, pitch faster and hit further. Balls are normal 9″ baseballs for this level baseball and above age groups.
Players are developing their skills in their preferred field positions, with targeted coaching.
Game days: Saturday, with start times and venues dependant on the CSJBA draw.
Little League, Majors Registration Fees $260.00 – $280.00inc.GST.
Intermediate League (11-13 years)
Intermediate League is a transition for players between the standard Little League sized field and the larger Junior League sized field.
Game days: Saturday, with start times and venues dependant on the CSJBA draw.
Intermediate League Registration Fees $260.00 – $280.00inc.GST.
Junior League (12-14 years)
Game days: Saturday, with start times and venues dependant on the CSJBA draw.
Junior League Registration Fees $260.00 – $280.00inc.GST.
Senior League (13-16 years)
Game days: Saturday, with start times and venues dependant on the CSJBA draw.
Senior League Registration Fees $270.00 – $300.00inc.GST.
Uniforms and protective equipment
Club uniform consists of an Eastern Suburbs playing jersey, grey pants, Eastern Suburbs cap, club socks and a black belt. Player uniforms and all apparel can be purchased from All Sports Apparel.
A baseball glove is required, T-Ballers receive their first glove free as part of their registration kit.
No special shoes are required for T-Ball through to Machine Pitch, running shoes are acceptable (no open toed shoes).
Little League Minor to Junior League players may consider shoes with only moulded plastic (not metal) studs or cleats, while Senior League players can wear metal cleats.
Protective crotch protectors are required for all age divisions, other than T-Ball. You can purchase baseball protective equipment from specialty shops such as Diamond One or Red Stitches. Rebel also stock some items. Catchers’ protective equipment is supplied by the Club to all teams. Players can use their personal catcher’s equipment if they prefer.
Batters in all age divisions must wear protective helmets. Protective helmets are supplied by the Club or players may wear their personal helmet, blue or black.
Bats
If not using wood, ensure your bat has the appropriate markings/stamps for your division.
Additionally:
- Do not buy a 2 3/4" barrel bat.
- Be careful not to buy a softball bat for baseball.
- Some of the most popular quality brands are; Easton, Demarini and Rawlings.
- Bat length and weight is important. If too long and heavy, a player will have difficulty swinging it fast and accurately. They need to be able to get the barrel of the bat to the ball fast. At the same time it should not be too short and small as they may struggle to hit the ball hard. It's a balancing act.
* Please note that all opinions and examples of bats on this guide are given by experienced club members to assist with pointing you in the right direction when purchasing a bat. Ultimately the decision is yours. Assosication requirements must be met to be able to use the bat in club related activities or games.
Draw
The season draw and current standings can be found on the Cronulla Sutherland Junior Baseball Association Competition page.
Code of Conduct
All club officials, spectators and players are expected to abide by the code of conduct.
Everyone who watches or participates in the game has the right to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect. Please share this code with your child/ren.
Junior Baseball Rules
Baseball rules are governed by the following rule books: