Cottage Grove Baseball offers three levels of Traveling baseball: AAA, AA, and A, with players placed at the appropriate level after annual player evaluations.

Each level of play requires hard work, commitment and desire.  We believe in teaching structure, discipline and baseball fundamentals. Coaches will expect commitment, discipline, desire and effort to improve. Coaches are volunteers at all CGAA levels.

Our goals are to teach players to set goals and work hard to achieve them. We do not try to shelter players from their mistakes, rather we want to teach them to embrace them and figure out what work they need to do to correct them. Baseball is a sport where you are allowed to fail, pick yourself up and try again. Baseball teaches you that mistakes are not failure but rather teaching moments that help you improve.

Details surrounding 2021 Traveling Baseball Player Evaluations are now available. 

CGAA Baseball is now accepting coaching applications for the upcoming 2021 Traveling Baseball season. All interested coaches must apply by March 7, 2021.

In collaboration with Park Baseball Coach McGowan, Cottage Grove Baseball is pleased to publish its shared vision and goals for the upcoming season.

The Traveling Director oversees the traveling program.  They are responsible for working with MBL, our traveling league organization, to set up teams and tournaments.  Additionally, he coordinates and manages traveling coaches, level directors and the traveling tryout process.

Levels depend on numbers as well as talent at this level. Pitching mounds are 46 feet and bases are 60 feet stealing is allowed after the pitch crosses the plate. Parents and players are immersed in the traveling baseball culture at this level being exposed to all the nuiances that go with traveling baseball.  For most players, this is the first venture outside our community in basebalI.  If you are not picked for a traveling team, you are eligible to play Peewees in our developmental in house program.

As with the 9-year old level, we strive to put the highest level team on the field at this level base don number of players and talent level. Pitching mounds are 46 feet and bases are 60 feet stealing is allowed after the pitch crosses the plate. Parents and players are immersed in the traveling baseball culture at this level being exposed to all the nuances that go with traveling baseball. For most players, this is the first venture outside our community in baseball. If you are not picked for a traveling team, you are eligible to play Pee Wees in our developmental In-House house program.

The intensity moves up a notch and players start to understand what it will take to be successful in the competitive baseball arena.  Pitching mounds remain at 46 feet, however, bases move to 65 feet. If you are not picked for a traveling team, you are eligible to play Minors in our developmental In-House program.

At 12, the intensity is upped and the commitment level is expected to rise. Pitching mounds move back to 50-52 feet, bases are stretched to 75 feet and leading off and stealing are incorporated. Players start to be placed in positions based on performance. We have AAA, AA and we will have A teams if we have sufficient numbers. If you are not picked for a Traveling team, you are eligible to play Minors in our In-House program.

We do not offer an In-House program above age 12 and, therefore, all players who want to play baseball in Cottage Grove now participate in Traveling baseball.

The age of real baseball. This is where true nine-man baseball begins; 90 foot base pads, 60'6" pitching mounds. We form individual 14AAA and 14AA teams as well as 15AAA and 15AA teams. 14 and 15 year-olds are mixed on our A teams. We do our best to place everyone on a team. Many of the 15 year-old players play for the freshman team as well.

In 2018, Metro Baseball League (MBL) – the primary league for our Traveling baseball program – voted to adopt the new USA bat standards. If you are interested in purchasing a bat for your son, please first visit the MBL and USA Baseball websites and review the list of approved bats. Links to MBL and USA Baseball website are provided below. A link to MYAS bat standards is also provided as a reference should a Traveling team participate in a MYAS-sanctioned league or tournament.

Metro Baseball League Bat Standards (Dec. 15, 2020)
Bat restrictions: 9U-14U – All bats must have the new USA stamp (unless using a -3 BBCOR bat). 15’s must use a BBCOR bat or wood bat.

9U-13U: Bats must be 2 1/4" with unlimited weight differential or bats 2 3/8", 2 5/8" & 2 3/4" can have a -11 differential or less (i.e. 31” – 20.0 oz.)

14U, 14/15A: Bats must be 2 5/8" with a -5 or less differential

15U: Bats must be 2 5/8” with a -3 or less differential