What is club baseball?
Here are FAQ's about Club Baseball at the University of Arkansas.
* Please review "Changes for Fall 2024 Season" as this will change the club's dynamic for the upcoming semester below *
Revised 5/7/24
What is club BAseball?
Club baseball is a unique opportunity to play competitive baseball in college without the demands of NCAA baseball. It is a great way to keep playing the after high school, get back into the sport, or stay in game shape while looking to play for an NCAA or NAIA program. We are governed by the National Club Baseball Association (NCBA). We are part of a conference and have the opportunity to play in a regional tournament and even go to a world series versus other club teams from across the nation!
History of hogs club Baseball
Razorback club baseball was started in the spring of 2012. We have been both in NCBA Division 1 & 2. As we enter our 12th season, we look forward to bringing back a strong baseball culture this year with a bigger and better team. This year we are in the Great American Region North Conference. Our conference is made up of the following: Arkansas, Kansas State, Washington U St. Louis, SIU-Edwardsville, Oklahoma State, and Pittsburgh State. Even though we were the Great American North champions, we fell short in the regional tournamnet. This season we'll be striving for a title at the NCBA D2 World Series!
How will club baseball work with my schedule?
As a team, we practice 3-4 times a week. Times may vary depending on daylight, weather conditions, and practice space availability. We usually have one two hour practice and two 1 hour practices per week. This spring that is subject to change depending on weather and facility availability. This does not include throwing or hitting on your own time. We play home and away series. Last season we had the pleasure of playing at Lincoln High School's baseball field. Working with head coach Shad Surber, we had a great experience and look forward to possibly going back this year. For away series, we have to travel as these destinations are typically hours away. The team will stay at a hotel, Airbnb, or with someone who will host the team. Normally all series occur only on weekends, but Fridays are usually needed for travel. There may be exhibition games lined up with teams near the Fayetteville area. As a member of the team, you are expected to come to practice and all games if possible.
Changes for the Fall 2024 Season
The UARK UREC (University Recreation) department has implemented revised cut rules for club sports across the board. This means the "no cuts" policy of the Fall '23 semester no longer applies. How does this translate for your experience you may ask?
Tryouts will be held toward the beginning of the fall '24 semester. Each prospective student will need to pay a $10-$15 tryout fee before the tryout via the UREC programs portal. These fees will help cover the cost of whatever facility tryouts will be held at.
As a tryout, you will be graded in 4 to 5 categories as follows: fielding, throwing, hitting, speed/agility, and pitching on a scale of 1 - 5. This grading scale will help us determine who is a good fit and can help our team. It'll also determine if prospect can be further developed in our program. If cut from the tryout process, explicit reasoning will be given via the feedback noted on the grading sheets. The student will receive the news whether they made the team or not via text or email.
For new members of the club, semester dues of $250 must be paid in order to be a part of the club, no exceptions! There will be a "Travel" & "Practice" rosters. The Travel roster will consist of dedicated members of the club who attend most, if not all, practices and games throughout the semester. The Practice roster is for members who may not have enough time to play an intense schedule in both semesters or need to improve in certain aspects of their play.
Travel roster members will be put on the official NCBA roster that covers the entire year. Practice roster members will not be put on the official NCBA roster until they are either able to accommodate the year's schedule or have shown enough improvement to be "promoted" onto the official roster. A major point to note is that there are only 33 spots on the NCBA roster. Players cannot be removed unless they transfer or drop from the university in the current year.
Only players on the NCBA roster are able to play in "sanctioned" conference, non-conference, and post-season play. Practice roster members are only eligible to play in "non-sanctioned" games including exhibition games/series and non-NCBA sanctioned tournaments.