News
CORRECTED! BASEBALL BAT RULES!
- A bat may not exceed 33 inches
- No barrel shall exceed 2-5/8 inches in diameter
- Any bat in excess of 2-1/4 inches must display the USABat certification
- Any bat not displaying the USABat certification cannot exceed 2-1/4 inches
- There is no length-to-weight ratio limitation
- A bat may not exceed 34 inches
- No barrel shall exceed 2-5/8 inches in diameter
- Bats meeting this description and displaying the USABat, BPF 1.15 or BBCOR .50 certifications are permissible
- There is no length to weight ratio limitation
n umpire, player or coach accurately identifies an illegal bat, then the batter shall be declared out, any players who advanced bases shall return to the prior base occupied and the team and head coach are issued a warning. Then, each subsequent use of an illegal bat in the same game, the player found using an illegal bat and the head coach (or acting head coach) will be ejected and automatically miss the team’s next game as a result of the ejection.
Fall Ball Tournament Brackets Released | New Tee Ball Game Times
As we enter the final two weeks of the regular season, we are most impressed by the development of all our ballplayers, teams and coaches. Everyone has worked so hard this year to make this season fun and memorable, through more in-depth coaching and player development initiatives, too.
All these efforts are designed to help teams progress and put themselves in position to be competitive during an exciting and enjoyable Rec League Tournament.
The Tournament | OYO operates a single-elimination tournament for all our divisions, except Tee Ball. The tournament is set for Sunday, October 16. Depending on cancellations and delays due to weather, the tournament’s rain date is first Saturday, October 22 and, if needed, Sunday, October 23.
Tee Ball Games Amended | All Tee Ball teams also have one final game scheduled on Sunday, October 16 at 10 a.m. These games have been updated on your team’s schedule in LeagueApps. Following the game, teams will be able to distribute the trophies to each of their players!
The Brackets | At OYO, we are a developmental league first during the regular season. We do not keep standings, and all first round games/tournament brackets were completed through a computerized random draw in LeagueApps. Please access your division’s tournament bracket below (see links below for your division’s bracket). Please note, umpires will oversee a coin flip or ball roll to determine the “home” team for all games in the tournament. If you have any questions about your bracket, please contact your coach, division commissioner or respective vice president. The brackets can be accessed below and the first round games are noted on your team’s schedule in LeagueApps.
Reminder for Coaches … Mandatory Meeting on October 9 | The mandatory Pre-Tournament Coaches’ Meeting is set for Sunday, October 9 at 7:15 p.m. on Field 2 at OYO. Each team must be represented by the team’s head coach or another designated representative. (Tee Ball teams do not need to attend.)
We wish all teams a memorable ending to their regular season between now and October 9 and a great start to their tournament experience on October 16.
As always, thank you for choosing OYO as your place for baseball and softball.
Play Ball!
The OYO Board of Directors
www.oyoball.org
BRACKETS
Take 2! Smile! Photo Day Rescheduled for Sunday, September 18
The rain washed out our plans for Photo Day last Sunday, but it did not wash away the smiles your ballplayers sport playing ball at OYO!
Ready, Set, Smile! Team and individual pictures for our 2022 Fall Ball Season are rescheduled set for Sunday, September 18, 2022, so mark your calendars! Please reference the new schedule below for your team’s scheduled photo shoot time on Sunday, September 18 as this now aligns with this weekend’s game schedule.
This Photo Day will involve both team photos and player individual photos. The schedule can be accessed using the link below. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your time slot to keep us on schedule. With the help of OYO players and parents, coaches, and board, we continue to make picture day a smooth adventure for all.
All photos will be delivered and distributed during the games on October 2
Lastly, up until the until midnight on Saturday, September 17. As always, orders may be placed online. On behalf of H&R Photography, thank you for making our newly-styled OYO Photo Day another successful experience. See you at the ballpark!
Ready, Set, Smile!
The OYO Board of Directors
CORRECTED SEPTEMBER 18 PHOTO DAY SCHEDULE
KNOW WHERE YOUR FIELD IS, WHERE TO PARK AND GENERAL PARK RULES
We look forward to the sounds of happy ballplayers playing the game of baseball and softball as they take the field at Veterans Memorial Park, the home of OYO, starting this week. With so much excitement and enthusiam building with our ballplayers, coaches and families, this will be a wonderful week to start the season for teams in every division, on every field.
That said, we want to do what we can to make your arrival and navigation around the 13-field, 3-batting cage, 2-concession stand facility and 40-acre premises as easy and smooth as possible.
Before heading to Veterans Memorial Park, take a moment to access and review the park layout map outlining the field assignments around the park.
In addition, make sure you also follow the parking recommendation signage around the entrances on where to best park so you can secure the shortest walk to your field.
Lastly, be sure you know the rules around Veterans Memorial Park, especially the NO PETS ALLOWED (except for service animals). Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!
IMPORTANT REMINDER ABOUT VEHICLE SECURITY
Tip of the day: Keep your cars locked and secure while keeping your valuables and personal belongings out of sight!
As you prepare to come to the ballpark today, next week and for future seasons, we want to remind all our ballplayers and their families to utilize basic safety practices to minimize vehicle break-ins and theft while enjoying a ball game.
Please keep all valuables (such as phones, purses, electronics, equipment and other personal belongings) out of view and also keep your cars locked and secure at all times. If possible, take valuables with you or even leave them at home.
We have had a long track record of safety in our ballpark through the cooperation of our families, and we hope this timely reminder will help reduce future incidents at Veterans Memorial Park.
REMEMBER, THE OYO WAY BECAUSE OUR BALLPLAYERS ARE WATCHING YOU!
As we prepare for the stretch run of our regular season and the thrills of our annual rec league tournaments, here are some friendly reminders about the OYO Code of Conduct.
With great anticipation, all our coaches, players and fans have now entered the final phases of our Spring Season – the final two weeks of the regular season followed by the OYO Tournament. The excitement and enthusiasm are on the rise. This is the time of year where teams can showcase what they have learned on the ballfield but also where coaches and parents can teach many life lessons.
As we approach what will surely be a memorable, exciting tournament, we look forward to lots of cheers and exciting finishes. We’re also want to remind coaches, players and parents to stay focused on the big picture. Here’s an important reminder about The OYO Way!
Know Your Part – And Approach It Positively
How we handle ourselves when we interact with umpires — and how we manage our fans when they get excited over a call or play — is critical. It will make all the difference between positive memories and life lessons that will have these young baseball and softball players continue playing for years to come or that will scare them away from a game they have truly enjoyed during the rec season.
So, what’s your role? Umpires umpire, coaches coach, players play, and fans cheer positively.
Choose Words, Actions Carefully
It is important to remember if a coach or fan demonstrates disrespectful actions toward an umpire or opposing team member, then the coach runs the risk of being ejected by an umpire or the fan being removed by the advisor on duty. And, yes, coaches are responsible for their fans. Please work together to make this a memorable experience for the players!
In addition, each family (parents for themselves, their ballplayer and their guests) signed the OYO Code of Conduct at the time of their registration. If necessary, we will enforce the Code of Conduct when the actions of any coach, player or parent do not represent The OYO Way.
HELP US HELP YOU ON GAME DAYS! KEEP THE CART PATHS CLEAR
With the relaxation of COVID guidelines opening up more seating opportunities closer to home plate, we’re excited to have fans witness fun and exciting games up close. The standing-room only cheering sections have provided true encouragement for our ballplayers.
We also realize the hot, sunny, weather conditions leave us all seeking some shade and cover. We encourage and welcome families to bring their tents, chairs and more to stay cool and safe.
That said, we simply ask for some consideration on where you set up your chairs and tents, especially when watching games on Fields 6-9 where there is a very narrow path for these carts to operate. Our golf carts will be transporting guests needing assistance or deliveries to concession stands and fields only to be blocked by our guests.
Please follow our simple rule, no chair or tent should extend onto the paved asphalt paths at any time. This will ensure greater safety for all our fans and parents and less inconvenience for those watching our games and operating the carts, too.
LeagueApps Play Now Available…Download App Today!
OYO Fall Ball Fans:
Greetings! We hope your Fall Ball season is off to an amazing start and you’re as excited for Opening Day as we are. Everything is coming together for a great day involving more than 50 baseball and softball games for all ages! Now, we want to be sure, you and your ballplayer remain in the know of all the info you need all season long.
Since 2019, OYO has used a platform called LeagueApps to power our registration, messaging, scheduling, payment processing and more. LeagueApps helps us run more efficiently so we can focus on what’s important — your ballplayer having an amazing experience!
In the past few days, you may have realized some differences in both the desktop and mobile app platforms. LeagueApps has recently released several updates to their free app — LeagueApps Play — that are geared towards making it easier for you to view schedules, rosters, chat messages, coach notes and more. What’s more, unlike some other apps you may be familiar with, LeagueApps Play will never pester you with ads.
You’ll find LeagueApps Play in both the App Store and the Google Play store, and it’s free to download.
- Visit the app store on your mobile device
- Search for “LeagueApps Play”
- Download the “LeagueApps Play” app
- Log in – enter the same email and password you used to register for the [PROGRAM/TEAM NAME] website. All of your information will automatically be synced!
- Delete the old app you were using
View this quick Play tutorial video here!
Please note, Messaging in your team dashboard has been moved to the Play app effective immediately, and you will be able to use the Communications tab in the Play app to reply to Coach Notes (which will send you an email and push notification), as well as send and receive chat messages to your teams and individuals.
If you have any questions, please email the OYO LeagueApps Administrators and we’ll partner with the LeagueApps team as quickly as we can to get you up and running.
As always, thank you for all you do for OYO’s ballplayers and families. We truly appreciate you choosing OYO as your place for baseball and softball!
Play Ball!
The OYO Board of Directors
Fall Ball Tournament Preview
The official 2022 Fall Ball Tournament brackets will be released on September 30, if not sooner. The schedules and brackets will be populated by a random draw executed by the LeagueApps scheduling software, and then our volunteer board members are reviewing the brackets to ensure time and field space accuracy before releasing the final schedules.
When the tournament brackets are released, families also will find additional games added to their schedule for Sunday, October 16 — the date of our single-elimination tournament (but 08U Softball will play a double-elimination tournament with just three teams in division).
Also, all Tee Ball teams, will play an eighth game scheduled on Sunday, October 16 and final game time for the day also will be announced on September 30.
When the tournament schedules are released you will be able to download the bracket for your team, too. If you have any questions about the tournament, please check with your coach or your league commissioner.
Please note, a few important changes for games on Tournament Sunday (again, Sunday, October 16 only):
- All games are played on Sunday, October 16, but we use much different game times than during the regular season so read the brackets carefully
- Game times possibilities include 10 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. — and if we need additional game slots we’ll use either 8 a.m. or 7 p.m.
- All games in all divisions will continue to use a 1 hour, 45 minute time limit, but the game will finish the inning
- The OYO Code of Conduct will be strictly enforced at all times on all fields with players, coaches, parents and fans
- Check the baseball rules and softball rules as some rules are different in the Fall Ball tournament, including pitching rules and fair play rules in most divisions
- If needed, rain date for the tournament is Saturday, October 22 and if a second rain date is needed it would be Sunday, October 23
These brackets are subject to change if any activities at Veterans Memorial Park, the home of OYO, are canceled because of rain or poor field conditions. We wish all our teams many memorable experiences and exciting games this tournament season!
Thank you for choosing OYO as your place for baseball and softball this fall!
Join the 2023 OYO Board of Directors
- President*
- Executive Vice President* (overseeing baseball)
- Ways and Means Co-Chairpersons (overseeing sponsorships)
- Umpire Scheduling Chairperson
- Junior Rookie Commissioner
- 08U Softball Commissioner
The term for these positions begins in November and continues for one full year (November-October), except for the executive board positions which are two year commitments (denoted by *). Each role is essential to the operation of our league.
In addition to fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of the respective position, each board member also:
- serves 10-12 AOD shifts per year (six in spring, four in fall, two over summer)
- participates in park prep days and projects
- attends monthly board meetings, which are a mix of in-person and hybrid meetings
- assists with special ad hoc projects, as needed