High School Baseball and Softball Tryouts: What to Expect and How to Prepare

When are high school tryouts?

There is no national tryout date. Each state's high school association sets its own season calendar, and schools hold tryouts once official practice is allowed to begin.

As one example, the Texas association (UIL) listed January 10, 2025 as the first practice day for softball and January 17, 2025 for baseball in its tentative 2024–25 calendar. Other states set different dates, so look up your own state association's calendar for the current year.

Ask the head coach or athletic office in the fall when tryouts start, how many days they run, and whether there is a parent or player meeting beforehand. Many programs post the details on the school's athletics page.

Paperwork first: physicals and eligibility

A player who isn't cleared usually can't step on the field, so handle this early. Rules differ by state and school, so check with your school's athletic office for the exact list.

• Sports physical. The NFHS notes that most states require a preparticipation physical evaluation at some point during high school sports, and that it is best done several weeks before the season so any concern can be followed up in time.
• Academic eligibility. Schools and states set their own grade and attendance rules. Ask what applies and when grades are checked.
• Forms. Expect consent, emergency contact and insurance forms, often through an online system. Finish them before the first day.

If your player hopes to play in college someday, grades count early. The NCAA lists 16 approved core courses and a minimum core-course GPA for Division I. Our recruiting roadmap walks through the timeline.

What coaches typically evaluate

Every coach runs tryouts differently, but most look at the same core skills. They also watch effort, coachability and how players treat teammates between drills.

• Running. Sprints or timed runs, plus baserunning reads.
• Throwing. Arm strength and accuracy from the player's position.
• Fielding. Ground balls, fly balls, footwork and getting rid of the ball cleanly.
• Hitting. Rounds in the cage or on the field, often against live pitching or a machine.
• Pitching and catching. Pitchers may throw bullpens. Catchers may be checked on receiving, blocking and throws to bases.

Where softball differs: pitchers throw underhand from a circle, and the NFHS moved the high school varsity pitching distance to 43 feet starting in 2010–11. Catchers handle a different kind of pitching, and hitters may be asked to show bunting or slapping. The game moves quickly, so first-step quickness in the field and out of the box gets noticed.

How to prepare in the weeks before

The goal is to arrive ready to do what you already do, not to cram. Start four to six weeks out if you can.

1. Ramp up throwing slowly. Build distance and intensity over several weeks rather than throwing hard on day one. Pitch Smart recommends at least four months off from competitive pitching each year, so an arm coming back from a rest period needs time to build up.
2. Get regular swings. Short, focused sessions beat marathon ones.
3. Run. Sprint work and conditioning so the player isn't gassed on day two.
4. Know the plan. Ask what to bring, what to wear and what time to arrive. Show up early with a water bottle, glove, bat and cleats.

Arm care: if anything hurts, stop throwing and ask your doctor or pediatrician. Soreness that doesn't go away is not something to push through to make a team. Our pitch count checker can help once games begin, and our guide on how much kids should practice covers workload basics.

What to do if your player is cut

Getting cut hurts, and that's normal. Give your player a day before talking it through.

• Encourage your player to ask the coach, respectfully, what to work on. Players asking for themselves usually goes over better than a parent asking. Our guide on how to talk to your child's coach can help.
• Ask whether there's a JV, freshman or practice-player spot, or a chance to try out again next year.
• Look at other places to play, like summer or travel teams, so the player keeps developing. Our guide to showcases explains one option for older players.
• Make a simple plan for the year ahead and come back stronger.

Plenty of players develop later than their classmates. A cut is one coach's decision about one roster in one year, not a verdict on the player's future.

Sources: NFHS: The Pre-participation Evaluation of High School Athletes (March 14, 2022) · UIL Texas: 2024–25 Tentative Sport Season Dates and Game/Tournament Limits · OHSAA: 2010 Softball Rule Changes (NFHS 43-foot pitching distance) · MLB/USA Baseball Pitch Smart: Ages 15–18 · MLB/USA Baseball Pitch Smart: Ages 13–14 · NCAA Eligibility Center: Division I Initial-Eligibility Requirements