Wellwood Baseball and Pikesville Girls Softball

• Sunday, February 1st:    4:00 - 6:00 PM
• Tuesday, February 3rd:  5:30 - 7:30 PM

We’re excited to announce that registration for both the Wellwood Baseball and Pikesville Girls Softball Spring 2026 Season is open NOW.  To register now, click here.  If you haven’t participated in a GPRC program before, you will need to create an account.

A few important registration notes:

(1) Register by January 16 and get $5 off each registration.

(2) No one is turned away due to an inability to afford registration fees.   Please contact us at info@wellwoodbaseball.org to arrange an accommodation. 

(3)   Refer a new family to Wellwood Baseball or Pikesville Girls Softball and receive a $25 credit towards any future GPRC activity.  To redeem this credit, please email us at info@wellwoodbaseball.org.  The family you refer must not have registered any child with Wellwood Baseball or PGS before.  Note this credit is not refundable and may only be applied to future GPRC registrations (Wellwood Baseball, PGS or other GPRC activity).

(4)   All players 9+ will be required to attend in-house evaluations (dates TBD soon).  Minors, Majors and Pony Parents – all players aged 9-14 will be evaluated for ability and some players may be moved into an older or younger division based on ability.  All players are accepted into the rec program regardless of ability or prior experience.  Minor, Major and Pony coaches will be required to attend to help evaluate the players.

(5)   $10 sibling discount is automatically applied for each additional registration from the same household.

(6)   $25 Late Registration fee will be applied to all registrations received after 2/15/26 (note that late registrations may be put on a waiting list if space is not available).

In addition to in-house play, Wellwood Baseball will also be fielding travel teams at the 8U through 15U divisions.  If you are interested in travel play, please contact our travel coordinator, Scott Blumberg, at info@wellwoodbaseball.org.

Pikesville Girls Softball will be fielding a 10U travel team.  Please contact Annie Grossberg at annie.grossberg@gmail.com for details.

Practices begin no earlier than the second half of March with opening day on a Sunday in April. We do not play or practice on Friday evenings or Saturdays and there will be no practices or games on the holiday days of Passover (Apr 1-2,  7-9), Easter (Apr 5), Shavuot (May 21), or Memorial Day (May 25).

Sponsorships - Sponsorships cost $350 and are tax deductible.  In exchange for your generosity, you will get the name of your business or organization on the back of your sponsored team's jersery, and of course that warm tingly feeling that comes from knowing that you’re helping kids learn baseball, make new friends, and create lifelong memories.  To sponsor a team, please click here to go to the sponsorship page.

Coaching - If you’re interested being a manager or coach, please indicate so on your registration and/or contact us at info@wellwoodbaseball.org for more information.   We are also looking for volunteers to be division commissioners and help with special events such as opening day and world series ceremonies.

For Peewee, Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A divisions and Softball 5-6 and 7-8 age groups, we try to accommodate at least one teammate request.  To maintain the spirit of fair and balanced teams, the placement of children in all other divisions will be done via a draft to ensure talent-balanced teams. 

In the Minor, Major, and Pony divisions, the playoffs are scheduled to end on before June 16st, the last day for Baltimore County schools.  Please note that if you’re planning summer travel prior to June 17th, there’s a chance that your child could miss playoff games. 

Questions?  Email us at info@wellwoodbaseball.org. 

We’re excited to enhance our communication and engagement this season through social media! Stay up to date with all things Wellwood Baseball by following us on Instagram and Facebook.

 Follow us here:
Instagram: Wellwood Baseball Instagram
Facebook: Wellwood Baseball Facebook

Our social media pages will be your go-to source for:
 League Updates – Important announcements, including weather-related changes.
 Players of the Week & Month – Recognizing standout performances and sportsmanship.
 Exciting Raffles & Giveaways – Fun chances to win great prizes.
 Special Events – Opening Day, World Series, and more!
 Game Highlights – Recaps, photos, and key moments from the season.

We encourage all families, players, and supporters to follow, like, and share our posts to help grow our community. Let’s make this an unforgettable season!

Wellwood Baseball’s official rules are published on the website (http://www.wellwoodbaseball.org). Our rules are based on Little League Baseball rules (Official Baseball rules for the Pony division) with some modifications. The summary below highlights some of our rules, but the official rulebook takes precedence in case of conflict. 

General Safety Rules

1. As soon as either (i) lightning is seen; or (2) thunder is heard (no matter how far it way it seems) the game must immediately be suspended for at least thirty minutes since the last sound of thunder.  This is true even if lightning is not visible.  When the game is suspended, all coaches and player must go to a safe area: either inside a building or inside a car.  Sheltering under trees is not considered sheltering in a safe area.  Stopping the game, but milling around waiting for the game to be restarted is not acceptable.

2. In both practice and during games, both batters and runners must wear batting helmets at all times.  There are no exceptions for “underhand pitching,” “just practicing,” etc.  These rules apply at all levels of play.

3. Catchers must wear a full set of catcher’s equipment including helmet, mask, chest protector, catcher’s mitt, and cup any time that the set up to take pitches behind the plate whether or not there is a batter present.  Players may not catch wearing a non-catcher’s mitt or glove.

4. Umpires may not stand behind the catcher unless they are wearing full protective gear.  If a game must be umpired by someone not in full gear, the umpire must stand behind the pitcher and call the game from there.

5. No player should be holding a bat except for the player that is batting and the on-deck batter in a designated on-deck area (in older divisions only).  In accordance with Little League rules, the on-deck batter is not permitted in Peewee, Single A, Double A or Triple A divisions.

Safety is everyone’s responsibility.  Please note safety violations immediately when observed and refuse to allow the game or practice to continue until all violations are resolved.

General Rules for Peewee, Single A, Double A and Triple A Divisions

In accordance with Little League rules, no “on deck circle” is permitted.  Players should hold a bat only when they are they are batting.  No other player should be holding a bat.

1. Players should be rotated through different positions after each inning.

2. Peewee: The ball is hit off the tee.  Teams bat through their batting order and then take the field to let the other team bat (the inning does not end with 3 outs).  Once the ball is returned to the infield, the runners should stop at the next base.  Teams typically will bat 2-3 times before ending the game.

3. Single A: The ball is pitched underhand by a coach from the batting team to the batter or is hit off the tee for those who cannot yet handle underhand pitching.  After four swinging strikes to any batter, the batter hits the ball off the tee (no strikeouts).  Teams bat through their batting order or until 3 outs are recorded and then take the field to let the other team bat.  Once the ball is returned to the pitcher, the runners should stop at the next base.

4. Double A: The ball is pitched overhand by a coach from the batting team to the batter.  Balls and strikes are not called, but a player is called out on strikes after 4 swinging strikes. Teams bat through their batting order or until 3 outs are recorded and then take the field to let the other team bat.  Once the ball is returned to the pitcher, the runners should stop at the next base.

5. Triple A: The ball is pitched by a player with a member of the offensive team behind the pitcher to call balls and strikes as well as all other umpiring duties.  Three strikes is an out, but after four balls, the coach/umpire takes over pitching duties for that at bat and pitches until a strikeout or a ball is put into play.  The number of strikes is carried over from the kid pitcher.  If a player is hit by a pitch, the coach/umpire takes over immediately for that at bat.  Thus, a batter is never awarded first base for a base on balls or a hit by pitch.  After 3 bases on balls or 2 hit by pitch, the coach/umpire takes over pitches to all batters for the remainder of the inning.  Player pitchers are limited to 1 inning per game.  A pitcher who is removed from the mound may not return to pitch in that game.  Teams bat through their batting order or until 3 outs are recorded and then take the field to let the other team bat.

General Rules for Minor, Major and Pony Divisions

1. All players bat through the lineup (“continuous batting order”).  The batting order must be set prior to the game and late arriving players must be placed at the bottom of the batting order.

2. The game may be started with a minimum of 7 players.  If 7 players are present, then the eight batting slot counts as an “automatic out.”  If 8 players are present, the no “automatic out” applies.

3. Head first sliding is not permitted, except in returning to a base.  In case of a head first slide, the runner is called out.

4. Any pitcher who hits 2 batters in one inning or 3 batters in one game must immediately be removed from the mound.

5. A pitcher who is removed from the mound for any reason may not return to pitch in that game.

6. Throwing or slinging the bat results in a team warning (bench warning) to the batting team.  A second instance of bat throwing/slinging results in an out.  The play is dead and all runners return to their bases.

7. When two are out, if the catcher is on base, he should be removed from the base and a pinch-runner substituted for him.  The pinch-runner shall be the player who made the last out. The catcher then gets his gear on in anticipation of catching in the next inning.

8. Any runner is out when the runner does not slide *or* attempt to get around a fielder who has the ball and is waiting to make the tag.  There is no “must slide” rule.  The rule is slide or attempt to get around.  The key in this situation is fielder has the ball and is waiting to make the tag.  This article explains more: Click Here.  This rule does not prevent or make hurdling illegal.  This rule is easily the most misunderstood rule in the book. It is easily broken down as follows: a) The fielder must have the ball in his/her possession; AND b) The fielder must be WAITING to make the tag; If BOTH of those two criteria are satisfied, then the runner must EITHER:

1. SLIDE; OR 2.ATTEMPT to get around the fielder OR 3. RETREAT to the previous base OR 4. GIVE THEMSELVES UP

Notice that the rule says “attempt to get around”, not “avoid”. Contact may occur with no penalty assessed.

Minor and Major Division Rules

1. Game is played by Little League rules.  This means runners may not leave the base or “lead off” until the ball crosses the plate.

2. Bases are set at 60’.  Pitcher’s mound set at 46’.`

3. Games last six innings.  If after four (4) innings, three and one-half innings if the home team is ahead, one team has a lead of eleven (11) runs or more, the manager of the team with the least runs shall concede the victory to the opponent.

4. Games must last at least 4 innings (3-1/2 if home team is ahead) to be official.  If an inning cannot be completed, the score reverts to the prior inning’s score.

5. While “leading off” is not permitted, there is no requirement that the runners “stop running” when the ball is returned to the pitcher.  After a pitch, hit or walk, if the pitcher has the ball ready to pitch and the catcher is behind the plate ready to receive the ball, then the runners must commit to either stopping at their bases or proceeding to the next base.

6. A pitcher may not pitch more than 3 innings in one game or 6 innings in one week.  Innings in a game are “rounded up” so that pitching 2 innings (6 outs) + 1 batter in a game is counted as pitching 3 innings. 

7. 10 players may play in the field at one time.  Once a player has sat defensively for one inning, he/she may not sit again until all other players have sat out at least one inning.  Coming late to the game does not count as sitting out an inning.

8. Any bat marked USA Baseball, USSSA, or BBCOR is legal for play in Wellwood Baseball unless the bat model and length has been decertified.   Links to decertification lists are as follows. USA Baseball and BBCOR: https://www.littleleague.org/playing-rules/bat-information/decertified-bats/.  USSSA: https://www.usssa.com/baseball/baseball-withdrawn-andor-non-compliant-baseball-bat-models.

9. All coaches are charged with knowledge of any rule announcements communicated via email during the season.

Minor Division Only

1. Wellwood rules do not allow for “stealing home” in the Minor division.  Unless the ball is hit, players may not go home on a “passed ball,” “wild pitch,” “overthrow to the pitcher” or any other kind of throwing error, nor may they attempt a straight steal of home. If the offensive team attempts a double steal and the defensive team throws to second base, the player on third may not attempt to come home. Exception: If the defense makes a throw to third base, then the runner may attempt to come home. This includes throws to third base on an attempted steal of third as well as pickoff attempts to third base for a runner already at third base.

2. Players may proceed to go home on any kind of hit (including their own hit) and do not need to stop at third base.

3. In the Minor division, there is a run limit of 5 runs per inning, except in the final inning of the game where any number of runs can score. If it appears that the game will end due to darkness or other time limit before 6 innings have been completed, then the coaches and umpires shall designate a “final” inning where any number of runs can score.

Pony Division Rules: 

1. A maximum of 9 players in the field.

2. A pitcher may not pitch more than 4 innings in one game or 8 innings in one week. Innings in a game are “rounded up” so that pitching 2 innings (6 outs) + 1 batter in a game is counted as pitching 3 innings. 

3. Bases set at 75’. Pitcher’s mound set at 54’.

4. “Leading off” is permitted. Runners can leave their bases at any time.

5. Balks are enforced with the allowance of one warning in a game to each pitcher.

6. Games go 7 innings. 5 innings required (4 1/2 if home team is ahead) for an official game.

7. Players may sit defensively a maximum of 2 innings.

8. Pitchers may pitch a maximum of 4 innings per game and 8 innings per week.