How Long Does a High School Baseball Season Last?

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A parent of a high school student who wants to pursue a high school baseball career may dread the idea of his/her child playing a 162 game season like Major League Baseball. However, there is no need to fear as high school baseball seasons are much shorter than that.

The length of a high school baseball season varies across the country depending on how many games each state allows teams to play. With that being said, most states do allow their teams to play somewhere between a 25-40 game regular season between the months of March and June.

While that may seem like nothing compared to a professional schedule, high school teams typically play anywhere between three and five days per week during the regular season. This requires a commitment from both the players and their parents.

When Does a High School Baseball Season Start and End?

Again, like most things when it comes to high school sports, different states have different regulations. Scheduling games is no different. Typically, the more southern states start their season earlier due to their warmer climates.

MaxPreps’ list of start dates for the high school baseball and softball season shows that Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Utah, and Oklahoma usually all begin their season by March.

Some of the northern states end their seasons as late as June or July. This later end date is likely due to the weather being colder in the early spring causing the baseball season to start much later than in other states.

Why is the High School Baseball Season Shorter than College and Professional Schedules?

There are a few reasons that high schools typically play fewer games than their college and professional counterparts.

For one, high school teams normally have fewer pitchers, and the pitchers they do have are still in a developmental stage physically. Teams’ pitching staffs cannot handle a long schedule as seen in higher levels.

Second, many high school athletes play multiple sports. While their seasons do overlap some, many states try to keep this overlap to a minimum to allow players to play more than one sport through their high school careers.

Third, academics still take priority over athletics. While this is true at the college level as well, high school athletes do not have as much flexibility in their class schedules. Playing a long, grueling schedule would put them at a disadvantage academically, and states do not want to put players in that situation.

Weather is also a factor due to lack of indoor facilities in many areas. It is difficult to expect high schools in Michigan to start playing baseball in early February if they do not have access to indoor facilities.

There are other factors that are also considered when determining the start and end dates for high school baseball teams as well as how many games they are allowed to play, but these are some of the main reasons the high school season is shorter.

How Long Does High School Summer Ball Last?

The number of high school players who play summer ball after their high school season is over is growing exponentially. It has gained popularity because it allows players to develop their skills against stiff competition and to gain exposure for college recruiting.

The length of the summer ball season varies from team to team. There are no regulations from states on how many games summer teams that are not affiliated with particular schools are allowed to play.

Some teams begin their season at the first of June and play through the end of July. Others begin as early as the end of May and run their seasons all the way through late September or early October.

These teams often travel either locally or all over the country to play tournaments on the weekends. Like a high school season, they typically play between three and five games in a week, but these games are over a two or three day stretch.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are high school baseball teams allowed to start practicing?

States are also different in their regulations for practice. Some states allow teams to start practicing as early as January. Most states allow their teams to start practicing together by the middle of February or beginning of March to give them enough time to get their players in shape for the season.

How long is a college baseball season?

The typical college baseball regular season allows for 56 games to be played between the middle of February and the middle of May. This is followed by conference tournaments, NCAA Regional Tournaments, NCAA Super Regional Tournaments, and the College World Series.