ORANGE CATS TRAVEL BASEBALL

LAKESHORE FEEDER BASEBALL LEAGUE SEASON

13/14U will start regular season play on or about 4/15.  Most other teams will start after house league ends in early June.  Specific LSFBL regular season schedules will not be known until the Spring

LSFBL PLAYOFFS START FOR ALL TEAMS THE WEEK OF JULY 14, 2024.  CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY IS  7/20/24.   PLAYERS MUST ATTEND ALL PRACTICES AND GAMES DURING PLAYOFF WEEK THROUGH CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY – OR UNTIL THEIR TEAM IS ELIMINATED EARLIER IN THAT WEEK.


OVERVIEW

Registration Links:

LINK COMING SOON for 2025

For current 3rd graders through 6th graders, the travel team is an additional season of baseball following the house league. 7th and 8th graders, please see separate information below. To be eligible to play travel baseball at any level, a player must: 

  • live in School District 65 and/or be eligible to attend ETHS by living in School District 202. Players who live outside these districts but who have played travel in the previous year remain eligible to compete; 
  • not miss more than a week during the travel season, basically from Memorial Day forward.  For example, a week at Camp Echo is acceptable.  But anything more than a week means that a player should not tryout.  If a player misses more than a week (for reasons other than sickness, injury or bereavement), they will be cut from the team and their registration fee(s) will not be returned; 
  • be present for the last week of July during the LSFBL playoffs;  
  • play in the EBSA house league (for third through sixth graders only); 
  • and NOT play in any other travel league. 


Players who do not qualify in any one of the above requirements are not eligible to tryout.

TEAM FORMATION

At the tryouts, players are evaluated in several categories including: hitting; infield fielding; infield and outfield throws; pitching; sprinting speed; as well as performance in the previous travel season, if applicable. Thereafter, as many teams will be formed as the talent and numbers prescribe. At least one team is generally considered the A team and the other(s) the B team(s). These teams will play in different divisions of the Lake Shore Feeder Baseball League. Travel team tryouts for each age group are for the following without exception: 

  • 14U = Current 8th graders 
  •  13U = Current 7th graders  
  • 12U = Current 6th graders  
  • 11U = Current 5th graders  
  • 10U = Current 4th graders    
  •  9U = Current 3rd graders

LAKE SHORE FEEDER BASEBALL LEAGUE

The LSFBL is a league that includes teams from Evanston, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Lake Forest, Glenview, Northbrook, Park Ridge, and Lake Bluff. It is a competitive league where wins and losses are tracked and a playoff tournament occurs the last week of July.

LAKESHORE BASEBALL FEEDER LEAGUE

SEASON

Depending on the age level, the teams will play a 14 to 18 game season starting from mid-June through the third week of July. That equates to roughly 2 games per week. In addition, EBSA enters the teams in two other tournaments. Each team will have a tournament over the Memorial Day weekend (house league does not have games over this weekend). A second tournament is often scheduled around the 4th of July holiday. The 12U teams travel to Cooperstown, NY for a week long tournament in June. The LSFBL playoffs are a single-elimination tournament that is played in July.  This year Championship Sunday is likely the 3rd Sunday in July. The LSFBL regular season schedule for each team will not be known until mid-May.

13U / 14U TRAVEL SEASON

Players making one of the 13U or 14U travel teams will NOT play in the EBSA house league.  

Weekly practices will start mid-February, immediately after players announced. Teams will begin a 20 game LSFBL season starting in mid-April. The game schedule from LSFBL will be out by mid-March. In addition, teams will play in four weekend tournaments. Please note, LSFBL Championship is likely the 3rd Sunday in July.  If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact one of us below:

PRACTICES

Teams typically will practice at least once if not twice per week during the regular season (usually at James Park), and will most likely practice once a week after the teams are chosen but before the season starts. Practices should not conflict with the house league season. House league takes precedence over any travel activities until the House season is done. The 9U to 11U travel teams will not start practice until early May. For more information, see the EBSA Travel Program site.

COST

Travel Baseball fees for the 2025 will be as follows: 

  •  9U - 12U cost $1,200
  • 12U will have an addtional cost for Cooperstown and other tournaments around $1,300
  •  13U and 14U cost $1,600

Travel teams play at a high level of competition and require a strong commitment from both player and their family. Your summer through the end of July will consist of many trips to James Park and surrounding suburbs… and a lot of baseball. The games are fun and exciting. 

 Scholarships are available for Travel Baseball.  

Once travel tryouts are concluded, scholarships or payment plans can be established.