Welcome! Let's Play Ball!

Lawrence Township Junior Baseball & Softball Association

Welcome! Let's Play Ball!

Season Overview & Schedule

Registration: Opens mid-October and continues through mid-January.

🗓️ Season Dates: Mid-April to Mid-June (approx. 8-10 weeks).

📍 Locations: Lawrence Central Park, Village Park, Moody Park, or Fasolino Field.

View Open Registrations

Typical Weekly Schedule

🥎 Softball Games

Rookies
Prac Mon Game Thu/Sat
Minors
Prac Tue/Thu Game Tue/Thu/Sat
Majors
Prac Mon/Wed Game Mon/Wed

⚾ Baseball Games

Rookies
Prac Thu/Fri Game Thu/Sat
Minors AA
Prac Wed Game Mon/Sat
Minors AAA
Prac Mon Game Tue/Sat
Majors 46/60
Prac Tue Game Wed/Sat
Majors 50/70
Prac Tue Game Varies

⚡ Tee Ball Program

Girls & Boys (Age 4-6)
Sessions are a combined practice/game format focusing on fundamentals and fun.
Saturday Mornings:
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Mid-Week Session:
Possible Wed Night (6-7 PM)

⏰ Game Times

Weeknights: 6:15 PM or 6:30 PM start
Saturday Morning: 10:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Saturday Afternoon: 12:45 PM - 2:30 PM
Makeups: 2:50 PM - 4:40 PM (Sat)

Note: Softball & Intermediate 50/70 game times may vary due to interleague.

🧢 Practice Schedule

Frequency: Baseball & Softball teams typically practice once per week.

Time: Weeknights at 6:00 PM
Duration: 60-90 minutes
Location: Field assignments (Central, Village, Moody) will be in the GameChanger app.

📒 Schedule Finalization

We aim to follow the format above so you can plan ahead. However, we cannot finalize the schedule until registration closes (approx. 4-5 week process), with the final schedule typically published by the third weekend in March.

Influencing Factors:

Registrant numbers & volunteer coaches
Field, lights, & umpire availability
School schedules & Maintenance

Key In-Season Dates & Activities

Key Dates & Activities

Here’s a guide to important dates and activities throughout the LTJBSA season, designed to keep you informed and help you plan!

View Full League Calendar

🎉 Opening Day

When: First Saturday of the season.

Join us for the league parade from Colavita Field to Hughes Field at Lawrence Central Park, followed by opening ceremonies and the first games of the season.

♻️ Swap Day

When: Mid-March.

Bring gently used baseball/softball gear and find what you need. We accept bats, gloves, catcher's gear, cleats, pants, belts, and training aids.

*Items must be clean/good condition. Unswapped items are donated. Bats/gear must have current labels.

🌭 Snack Shack Duty

Frequency: Twice per Season.

Each team provides two volunteers for two dates (assigned when your team isn't playing). Shifts involve taking/serving orders—no food prep required!

This is our league's only fundraiser, crucial for keeping fees low.

📸 Photo Day

When: Mid-May.

Get ready for team and individual pictures in the Indoor Cages! Players should wear jerseys for the team photo (given to sponsors). Attendees receive a free digital team photo.

🇺🇸 Memorial Day Parade

When: End of May.

Players are invited to march in uniform in Lawrence Township's annual parade. Meet at Lawrence High School Parking lot at 9 AM. The parade concludes at Veterans Park.

⚡ Trenton Thunder Day

When: Mid-June.

Join the league as we march on-field before a Trenton Thunder minor league baseball game. It's a fun day out at the ballpark for the whole family!

⛳ Drive for the Diamond

When: Annual event (timing varies).

Our annual golf tournament benefits youth softball and baseball programs. Proceeds support operations, equipment, scholarships, and capital improvements.

💪 Get Involved

We are always looking for volunteers to help us run these amazing events.

Volunteer Now

All Star Tournaments

New Jersey District 12 hosts an official “District” tournament each year (typically June 25 – July 15) and a “House” tournament (typically July 16 – July 30). Each tournament offers brackets for different age groups.

Lawrence enters teams based on player availability in each age group. If an age group has enough interest to make a team, we will form a team at that age level first before asking players to “play up.”

🔴 Selection Criteria

Participation: At least 8 regular season games played (1 at-bat/1 inning in field per game), unless medically exempted.
Observation: Ability demonstrated during the regular season, as observed by division coaches.
Tryouts: Ability demonstrated in throwing, catching, fielding, baserunning, and hitting. (View Player Development Rubric)
Roster Needs: Composition determined by the Head Coach.

The Head Coach makes final roster decisions. By trying out, you agree to abide by their decisions regarding selection and playing time.

🗓️ The Summer Commitment

Date Range: June 15 – July 30

Little League District Tournament season requires a commitment to be available to play or practice at any time during this window.

Be Prepared For:

Games scheduled or rescheduled at a moment's notice.
Shifting weather patterns affecting District/State schedules.
Waiting out weather delays late into the night, or returning the next day to finish a game.

⚠️ Attendance Policy

Lawrence Little League's policy is strict: Any player that commits to a District Team but misses a scheduled game without an excused absence will be prohibited from trying out the following year.

If a family cannot commit to being available for the full period, we strongly recommend that their player does not attend tryouts to avoid taking a roster spot from a player who can make the full commitment.

LTJBSA & Centercourt Join Forces for Player Training & Development

We are excited to announce a strategic collaboration between LTJBSA and Centercourt Lawrence. Centercourt is now our exclusive Training Partner, allowing us to expand access to professional instruction for every ballplayer in our community.

The growth of our membership has created a need for more year-round programs, variety, and space. With Centercourt, we have found a partner aligned with our mission: helping our ballplayers have fun and grow their game for success in high school and beyond.

✨ Highlights of the Collaboration

Player Development: We will be jointly designing new seasonal clinics and skills programs, as well as creating opportunities for smaller group and 1-on-1 lessons.
Coaching Instruction: LTJBSA volunteers will gain access to professional support and clinics to learn best practices.
Travel Collaboration: We will collaborate on off-season training and higher-level instruction, creating expanded growth path opportunities for committed LTJBSA players.
Access to Professional Coaches: LTJBSA members and programs will benefit from input and instruction from Centercourt's professional staff, which includes Lawrence High School coaches.
Elite Facilities: LTJBSA and Centercourt will collaborate on programming in Centercourt Lawrence's dome, allowing us to continue to play ball even when the weather doesn't cooperate.
Preferred Pricing for Members: LTJBSA families enrolled in our programs will receive discounted rates on select Centercourt activities.

Learn More about Centercourt Lawrence >>

Weather & Cancellation Procedures

📢 Communication Protocol

The League will announce weather-related cancellations by 4:45pm on a game day.

Parents: Cancellations will be communicated directly via Facebook and Instagram.
Coaches: Will receive an email or text, and then must notify their teams directly.

⚖️ Field Decisions (After 4:45pm)

In the absence of a League announcement by 4:45pm, the following Little League Rules apply:

Rule 3.10 (a): Managers of both teams shall agree on the fitness of the playing field before the game starts. In the event that the two managers cannot agree, the President or a duly delegated representative shall make the determination.

Rule 4.10 (d): As soon as the home team's batting order is handed to the home plate umpire, said umpire is in charge of the playing field and from that moment shall have sole authority to determine when a game shall be called, halted, or resumed on account of weather or the condition of the playing field.

⛈️ Suspensions & Delays

Regulation Games: Any regulation game (4 innings) that is suspended due to weather will automatically be concluded and a winner declared to avoid having kids sit in dugouts on a school night.
Delays: Any non-regulation game or tie game that enters a weather delay more than 39 minutes prior to the scheduled end will wait, unless decided otherwise by the League or Lawrence Township.