After meetings and discussions of three separate committees over a period of two years, the WULL Board has made the final determination to establish the Intermediate (50/70) division. The "50/70" refers to the measurements of the field on which this division will play - a pitching mound that is 50 feet from home plate, with bases that are 70 feet apart. By comparison, the WULL Major division plays on a 46 foot mound with 60 foot bases, while high school-level baseball and higher play on a field with a 60 foot 6 inch mound with 90 foot bases. The Junior field at South Campus will be permanently converted to Intermediate (50/70) dimensions, and all Intermediate practices and games will take place on this field.

Additionally, the Intermediate division allows for a different set of rules from the Little League Major division. For example, Intermediate divisional play is "open-bases," which means that base runners are allowed to lead off. Players are also allowed to wear metal spikes and use LL-approved big-barreled bats. Intermediate division teams will be managed by non-parent volunteer coaches, all of whom have experience in managing our WULL Junior division teams.

It is expected that Intermediate teams will play two games per week on either Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday, and hold practices on Sunday afternoons. Just as in the Major and younger divisions, there will be tryouts held in January and a draft shortly thereafter. All registered players will be drafted onto teams. Practices will begin in early February, with games beginning in late February and running through late April. There will be a post-season tournament in early May, and an All Star team will be voted on and selected to participate in the District 16 tournament in June.

Past results tell us that some players consider their LL age 12 year in the Major division their "final" year of little league baseball. It is the hope of our Board and all of us who care about WULL that players will choose to continue their LL careers by participating in the WULL Intermediate division beyond their LL age 12 Major year. The Intermediate division is designed for players of ALL skill and experience levels, and is intended to be a fun and rewarding experience for each player.

Although we anticipate a competitive environment in the Intermediate division, we encourage and welcome players who also choose to participate in middle school and/or "select" baseball. Traditionally, Junior division players have found participation in WULL beyond the Major division level particularly rewarding, as they are still able to play competitive baseball with and against their friends, many of whom they've been playing with since a very young age.

The WULL Board is especially hopeful that most, if not all, of our 2015 LL age 12 players (i.e., last year's Major division players) will elect to play in the Intermediate division in the spring of 2016. We fully expect that extending the WULL baseball experience beyond the 12 year-old year will turn out to be a decision all WULL Intermediate families will look back on with great pride. Register today for the spring 2016 baseball season. Registration is open now, and will close on December 31, 2015. Register today!