About LMLL’s Single-‘A’ Baseball Division
Single-‘A’ Division is a transition league to competitive organized baseball for players age 7-8. Games are played on 60’ Little League diamonds, with a mix of kid-pitch and coach-pitch. There is no player draft system for Single-A. Players of all abilities are welcome.
Who can play? Single-A division is for boys and girls who are 8 years old as of April 30th this year.
When are games and practices? Teams have one game per week, usually on Saturday. Times may vary from week to week; the game schedule is finalized in March, and will be posted under the Schedule tab at the top of the LMLL home page. There is at most one team practice per week, usually a weekday evening from 6-7:30pm.
When does the season start and end? First practices are typically scheduled for the last week in March or first week in April; games begin the first week after (LMSD) spring break in early April, and run until the end of the (LMSD) school year in mid-June.
Are there pre-season player evaluations? There are no pre-season evaluations, and there is no player draft, in Single-A division.
Where are games and practices? Single-A Division games and practices are held at several fields in Lower Merion Township; locations vary with each game, and will be finalized with team schedules in March. Directions and locations of all baseball fields are provided at the Field Locations link on the tabs at left. A detailed schedule will also be emailed by your player’s team coach before the season starts in April.
What do you do in practices? Coaches develop and reinforce the major baseball fundamentals, and teach team plays. Fundamental include: refining throwing mechanics, accuracy, and developing longer (‘crow-hop’) throws; reinforcing correct batting technique and improving hitting skills; developing individual fielding skills and team plays; teaching ‘look-ahead’ base running and decision-making about advancing. Proper pitching mechanics are introduced and developed in players who wish to pitch. We emphasize having fun together as a team, learning positive sportsmanship, and developing players’ confidence in their athletic abilities.
How does “kid and coach pitching” work in games? Single-A Division is coach-pitch baseball for the first three games. We then transition to a ‘5/5’ pitching system used for week 4 through week 10. A ‘5/5’ system means: Each batter receives (up to) five pitches from the opposing team’s (kid) pitcher; the batter may then receive up to 5 additional pitches from his/her own team’s coach to put the ball into fair play. Three swinging strikes at any time put the batter out (there are no ‘called’ strikes). After ten pitches, a batter that fails to put the ball into play is retired (out). On offense, every player on a team bats each rotation through the team’s lineup (but not necessarily every inning). Games are six innings (which takes about 90 minutes, typically). Detailed rules for Single-A division games are available on the Rules and Regs tab at left.
What do we need to bring? Players need: (1) a baseball glove, (2) water bottle, (3) team baseball cap, and for games (4) his/her team uniform (shirt, baseball pants, socks). Uniforms and caps are distributed at the first team meeting. We recommend players wear baseball cleats, but sneakers are acceptable. Players cannot wear shorts, as they are taught to slide into the base on close plays. We encourage players to bring their own favorite baseball bat, batting gloves, and batting helmet (but these are not required).
Can I request a teammate? Yes. There is a space for this in the online registration system. Please note that teammate requests are not guaranteed, but we will do our best effort to place players that request to be on the same team together when we assign teams in March. A player may request only one teammate. The teammate you request must also be registered in this age division before the registration deadline in early March.
What about drop offs? At this age group, each player must have a parent (or other responsible adult, e.g., neighbor, grandparent, nanny, etc.) present for the duration of the practice and game.
When will I learn what team my player will be on? Parents will be contacted (via email) by the player’s head coach by the last week in March, who will provide field schedule information, team name and other players on it, and any additional logistical information. Please be sure we have your preferred email address when you register online.
Do we need to be township residents? Lower Merion Little League is limited to residents of Lower Merion Township and the Borough of Narberth.
Where can I find additional information? We have a Frequently Asked Questions page about our Spring Season baseball programs, on the tabs at left. In addition, general inquires may be directed to the league at
. A-Division inquiries may be directed to the A-Division Commissioners, whose names and email addresses are listed on the League Contacts tab at left.
