What Are High School Baseball Tryouts Like?

State high school baseball championships are typically decided in the months of May and June around the United States. While the tension in playoff baseball games is high, it can be higher for many players in February and March, when tryouts are held for their high school's team. Players are asked to demonstrate their talent --- and are judged against other candidates.

Hitting

You will get 20 swings in the batting cage against live pitching. You will be judged on your ability to make contact, your ability to drive the pitch in the direction that it is thrown and your power. Coaches want a player who will hit the outside pitch to the opposite field, the pitch up the middle to center and pull the inside pitch. For non-pitchers, a player's hitting ability is the most important factor in a tryout situation.

Fielding

Coaches will hit ground balls, fly balls and line drives to players, who can then show their ability in the field. Coaches don't expect a player to catch every ball that is hit, but they do expect players to follow the fundamentals. On a hard ground ball, a player will be downgraded in his tryout if he fields the ball from the side and does not get in front of it. Coaches will differ on the number of balls each player gets to field, but if time is a key factor, as it often is in a tryout, a fielder may get 15 chances to show what he can do at his position of choice.

Baserunning

This is one of the most telling aspects for a player in a tryout situation. Coaches want fast baserunners, but they need smart baserunners. In a tryout situation, the coach will place a runner at first base and hit a hard ground-ball single to right field. The baserunner must take a direct line to second base, hit the inside corner at close to full speed and go hard to third base, finishing by sliding into the bag. A player who can do this crisply will earn a good grade, but one who struggles in this area may have a hard time making the team, because the coach will lack confidence in the player's baseball savvy.

Pitching

Coaches will judge pitchers in tryouts based on their velocity, command and control. Would-be pitchers will throw at least 25 pitches from a practice mound, both from the windup and the stretch. Coaches want to see a pitcher with a smooth motion, because this often indicates that a pitcher will not have arm problems.

Scrimmage

When there are a lot of players trying out for the high school team and the coaching staff is not familiar with all of them, one of the best ways to assess overall talent is to have the participants play a practice game, called a scrimmage. This will give players a chance to showcase their abilities and give coaches a chance to judge those talents in game situations.