EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SAYB TRAVEL LEAGUE TRYOUTS! REFERENCE THE FILE BELOW FOR SCHEDULE, LOCATION, AND ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

check back before tryouts to ensure all details remain the same. any necessary changes will be updated in the file below.

SAYB's Travel League provides a competitive environment and advanced development focus for players at the 10U-14U levels. SAYB defines these ages by school grade at time of registration while also adhering to the age restrictions set forth by the Minnesota Youth Athletic Services (MYAS), which carries a May 1 cut-off date.

Travel leagues are loaded with fun, while also seeking to challenge players at each level, matching up with opponents from across the metro and greater Minnesota at the AAA, AA, and A levels of play for each respective age. SAYB takes part in the Gopher State Baseball League governed by MYAS. The commitment level for Travel leagues is typically 5-6 days per week of programming throughout the season and carries a higher cost. This is a great option for advanced players and those who aspire to play competitively through high school and beyond.

There are both age and residency requirements for this league.  Please see the policies page for details.

Please head over to the coaching resources page to fill out an application.  One is required for coaching a traveling team.

The SAYB Travel program includes participation in the Gopher State Baseball League and Gopher State Rec League, which are governed by Minnesota Youth Athletic Services (MYAS). Players will have an opportunity to participate at one of several levels of play, determined through a tryout process. 

• AAA: Highest level of play, including the most skilled and competitive environment.
• AA: Intermediate tier of competitive travel baseball, and remains a high level of skill and competition.
• A: Third tier of competitive travel, perfect for players who desire competition and a chance to develop their skills for advancing to AA or AAA in the future.
• REC: Big league recreational baseball is available for our 13U and 14/15U players through the Gopher State Rec League. 

Teams will be formed with 11-12 person rosters based on skills evaluations in our tryouts. Regardless of level of play, SAYB will participate against teams from other communities.

AAA/AA/A Level of Commitment

• At the AAA, AA, and A level, it should be understood that there is a high level of commitment expected from players and families.
• Players should expect practice, league games and tournaments to be 5-6 days a week, on average.
• League games occur on weeknights, while tournaments are are held on weekends. 
• Coaches are instructed to give weekends off when no tournament is scheduled to allow families and players time to rest and relax.
• Each travel team will typically play in four (4) regular season tournaments. These tournaments provide opportunities to earn berths for entry into State Tournaments.
• SAYB teams typically pursue qualification for the MYAS governed "Gopher State Tournament of Champions" as well as the Metro Baseball League governed "MBT State Tournament." 
• Players and parents should agree ahead of time to this level of commitment so the team can count on your presence. If you do not wish this level of commitment, please do not plan on occupying the place of a player who is willing to do so. 
• Practices typically begin in March, pending indoor facility availability, and concludes with State Tournaments by end of July.
• At the Travel level, all players are in the batting line up, but  playing time in the field may not be equal.
• The cost for participation in travel baseball is made up of two payments. The first is collected at the time of registration. Near the end of the season a second payment will be assessed to cover the actual costs of tournament entries, umpires, and facility rentals.

Gopher State Rec League Level of Commitment

• Players not participating at the AAA, AA, A level will play at the Gopher State Rec League level (13U Rec, 14/15U Rec).
• If fielding more than one team at the Gopher State Rec Level, the goal is to form teams as equally as possible from a competitive standpoint, meaning team formation based on school attendance, friend requests, or neighborhoods cannot be granted.
• The Gopher State Rec teams should expect to play 1-2 tournaments, in addition to league play.

• It is SAYB’s goal to place each player on the correct team based on their skills and baseball experience.  We will use a multi-day tryout process, coach evaluations from previous seasons, and a team formation committee to finalize rosters.

• Team formation is 100% about "getting it right" to ensure that players have the best possible experience with a balance of challenges and successes throughout their season. 

• The tryout process is generally in February, so athletes intending to make travel teams should plan to practice/prepare in advance of tryouts.

• We use non-SAYB evaluators for scoring the tryout process.  These evaluators are made up of HS and/or college baseball coaching staff from the community.
• The evaluation process will consist of multiple stations including: infield, outfield, hitting, running, and throwing. Pitching and catching are included as optional events, however all participants are encouraged to pitch. 
• More detailed information regarding the tryout process will be provided to registrants in advance of the tryouts.