Howick-Pakuranga Baseball Club
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10U league (8-10 years old)

10U league baseball is where the players first start playing the full game of baseball – with pitchers, base stealing, umpires and scorekeepers. This is where young players learn the rules of baseball and the key skills – throwing, catching, hitting, and most importantly, playing as a team. 10U league games are played on a junior diamond – with 60’ base-paths and a 46’ pitching distance.

10U league Grade is a non-competitive grade run by the Auckland Baseball Association. This means that games are scored as usual but there are no league tables or division rankings. This is to ensure that players focus on enjoying the game and developing their skills, particularly in pitching, without having to worry about rankings etc.

Boys and Girls welcome. The HP Hawks are leaders in growing the girl's game in New Zealand. In October 2019 we were able to send our all-girls team to Brisbane to compete against a Queensland girls development team.

Pre-Season

Come and join us for our "Have a Go" days. Dates and times posted before the start of each season

Season

The season starts late October (after Labour Weekend) and runs until March. There is a break in the season over Christmas.

Age

Players 8-10 years old

For the 2023/2024 season players who will turn 11 after 31 August 2023 are eligible to play in the 10U league grade.

  • Example #1 - the child will turn 11 on 28 August 2023, they should register for the 10U league grade

  • Example #2 - the child will turn 11 on 13 October 2023, they should register for the 12U league grade

Safety

Many of the rules of baseball, particularly at the younger age groups are focused on player safety. 10U league grade falls under the Little League rules, and the umpires will enforce these rules to ensure player safety.

Gear

At 10U league, players are provided with a club jersey for games, which must be returned at the end of the season, and a hat they can keep.

Equipment

Players will need to provide the following equipment - see the guys at the Fieldhouse - 57 Ben Lomond Crescent, Pakuranga

  • Pants – white baseball pants

  • Glove – players will need their own baseball glove, typically a 10” glove is a good size for Minor league players. Please don’t get a glove that is too big, thinking that the bigger the glove, the better the chance of catching the ball. This is not the case at all – the key thing is to get a glove that is the correct size and weight that the player can move quickly to catch and keep hold of the ball. If in doubt – ask your coach.

  • Shoes – at Minor league, most players use normal running shoes or similar. Touch rugby boots with moulded plastic/rubber blades are OK. NO metal cleats are allowed at all.

  • Male players require a box / athletic protector - Auckland and New Zealand baseball rules require every male player to wear a box / athletic support.

  • Optional – some players like to have their own bats, helmets or catchers gear. This is fine as long as it is suitable for the game – your coach will be able to advise on this. Please check first as equipment such as softball bats will not be allowed in the game. Please note, the USA Bat standard is the new standard for Little League and Cal Ripken play. If purchasing a new bat, make sure it has the "USA Bat" certification to ensure it will be future-proofed for your child's use. If you are unsure, please contact your coach or grade coordinator.

All other gear is provided by the club, including bats, batting helmets, catchers gear, balls, etc.

Games

Each season we typically have 2 to 3 10U league teams, with our home games being played on our No 3 and No 4 diamonds at Lloyd Elsmore Park in Pakuranga. 10U league games are typically held on Saturday mornings around 9:00 am. Away games will be played during the season at other clubs with Minor league teams, such as:

  • Counties - based at Karaka Sports Complex, Karaka

  • Bayside Westhaven - based at Crossfield Domain, Glendowie

  • Central City - based at War Memorial Park, Mt Roskill

  • West City - based at McLeod Park, Te Atatu

  • North Shore - based at Albany Domain, Albany

  • Orewa - based at Victor Eaves Park, Orewa

Ready to play? Online registration is open. To register for the upcoming season please click here.