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 11/11/24
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!
Razorback club baseball was started in the spring of 2012. We have been both in NCBA Division 1 & 2. As we enter our 13th 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, 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!
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 two 2-hour practices and one 1-hour practice per week. This spring that is subject to change depending on weather and facility availability. We play both home series and will travel for away series!
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 also 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.
This season we are looking forward to going back to Springdale High School as our homefield for the 2025 season and working once again with Head Coach Tim Carver!
The UARK UREC (University Recreation) department has implemented revised cut rules for club sports across the board. As a team we have decided to get rid of the "no cuts" rule we had last year. This is to ensure the club has a sufficient amount of members while encouraging healthy competition to earn a spot on the official roster. How does this translate for your experience you may ask?
Prospect workouts will occur the first or second of a semester week where we will assess your skills as a player and see where in the team dynamic you fit. Each prospective player will need to sign the UREC waiver via the UREC programs portal before participating in the said workouts.
As a prospect, 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 you're not initially told you are wanted on the official roster, explicit reasoning will be given via the feedback noted on the grading sheets. The student will receive the news about where they fit into the program either in person,email, or text message.
For new members of the club, first semester dues of $250 and second semester dues of $225 must be paid in order to be a part of the club, no exceptions! There will be a "Official" & "Practice" rosters. The Official roster will consist of dedicated members of the club who attend most, if not all, practices and games throughout the semester. The Practice roster acts as a farm team 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.
Official 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.