MARA offers two seasons of Babe Ruth baseball. The spring season usually begins in May and runs through the end of June. The fall season generally begins in August and runs through the end of October. Open workouts and practices will precede these time frames.
All players from age 13 - 18 play in our Babe Ruth League. We offer three divisions within this league:
- 14U – (Ages 13-14)
- 16U – (Ages 15-16)
- 18U – (Ages 17-18)
Teams will compete in a regular season within their division playing 12-14 games. At the end of the season, an End-of-Season Tournament will be held. All-Star teams will be selected from each division (by age) to represent each league at the North Carolina Babe Ruth State Tournament. Teams that qualify can also expect to attend the Babe Ruth SE Regionals and Babe Ruth World Series.
Middle school and high school baseball players can play in the spring season because regular season Babe Ruth games generally do not start until early May and run through the end of June. Babe Ruth teams will have open workouts in late March and begin practicing in April. Any middle school and high school players that register for Babe Ruth will be told their school teams come first and will play with their Babe Ruth teams when available.
Important dates for the spring 2023 season:
- Open workouts on Field 2 (players need not be registered)—
- 14U & 16U combined: Saturday, April 1 from 11:30 A.M. to approximately 1:00 P.M.
- 18U ONLY: Saturday, April 1 from 10:00 - 11:30 A.M.
- Registration closes on April 1 ***14U and 16U are waitlist only; just a few more 14U players needed to form a third team!***
- Assessments for 14U and 16U, and tryouts for 18U, on Saturday, April 8, with optional (school ball takes priority) practices to follow throughout April. (Babe Ruth baseball at the 18U level is highly competitive. Accordingly, please expect tryouts (rather than assessments) and be advised that being registered for the program does not guarantee a spot on the team. The $350 registration fee will not be payable until after tryouts and offers have been made.)
- The regular season will start on Saturday, May 6 after school ball ends and run through June (there will be a post-season tournament in July, but it is entirely optional).
Babe Ruth 14U and 16U Divisions (13-16)
Players aged 13-16 get the complete baseball experience with runners leading, pitchers picking off runners, and a regulation field with 90 feet between bases and a distance of 60 feet 6 inches from the pitching rubber to home plate. Players will participate within the Union County Babe Ruth League and compete against other recreational leagues within the area.
Interim Babe Ruth Commissioner
Mike Kafka
[email protected]
980-269-4200
Babe Ruth & Little League 18U Division
A great opportunity for 17- and 18-year-olds (and some 19-year-olds) to continue to play the game they love. Games against both Little League and Union County Babe Ruth League opponents ensure robust competition. In light of the high level of competition, the 18U Division is by tryout only; a position on the team is not guaranteed.
Babe Ruth & Little League 18U Commissioner
Mike Kafka
[email protected]
980-269-4200
Matthews Athletic and Recreation Association (MARA) incurs various league, medical, security, uniform, insurance, and administrative fees which are not refundable to the organization. Therefore, if you withdraw your player fifteen (15) days or more before the stated registration period closes for a sport/program, we will provide a refund of the total registration fee, LESS A $50 Processing Fee. Otherwise, we do not provide any refunds for a player withdrawing from the program.