Tryouts
Tryouts for Fall 2024/Spring 2025 teams have concluded.
Tryouts are held in mid-to-late June and throughout July for the upcoming Fall season. If a tryout is scheduled for a team’s age group then it is an open tryout. We do not believe in wasting people’s time by holding perfunctory tryouts where no movements will be made. Individualized tryouts for the specialized positions of catcher and pitcher, or to accommodate player availability, may be requested directly to each team’s coach but it is within their discretion on whether or not to accommodate such a request.
Cardinal coaches seek the most qualified players in each age group to represent CMRC to ensure we field competitive teams. During tryouts, coaches evaluate fundamental baseball skills, situational playing skills (i.e. game IQ), focus, attitude (i.e. resiliency and sportsmanship), discipline, and team playing skills. As a CMRC program, we do have a preference for local players sourced from our community in and around the Baldwin, Glen Arm, Jacksonville, and Phoenix, Maryland areas. We have this preference because we believe that local players lead to more cohesive teams which help to strengthen community bonds.
Not everyone makes our teams the first time. Many players are not developmentally ready to play in a travel league and nothing can kill a child’s spirit or love for the game than being run over and destroyed game after game. For these players, it is best for them to continue to improve their baseball skills and game IQ by playing in a rec league and then trying out again in the future.