Travel Ball FAQ | Riptide Baseball Academy

Ages 10–13 primarily play in local Triangle-area Top Gun, Perfect Game, or USSSA tournaments. Older teams play showcase-style events based on their age and team schedule.

All of our HS teams, 15u-17u, are showcase teams. This just means we play in more tournaments that may play at local colleges. This also means we start assisting with recruiting plans and PBR Scout Days to help get profiles and data collected for setting goals or sending to coaches.

Ages 10–13 primarily play locally in the Triangle area. Youth and middle school teams may have one destination tournament per season, such as Asheville, Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Pigeon Forge, or Charlotte. 15u Showcase teams stay local with a potential destination tournament to UNC-A, Virginia, or SC. 16u does the Black Bear Tournament along with 1-2 other tournaments in SC or VA. 17u may be more travel more regionally to get more exposure to competition and coaches in, potentially, GA, SC, or VA.

Typically 10–13 players, depending on the number of pitchers and the team’s skill level. Showcase teams may carry more players based on pitching needs and positional work.

Yes. Recruiting support for showcase teams includes PBR Scout Days; measurements and PBR profile updates; a recruiting seminar for high school players and parents about timelines and communication; and help with videos, emails, and recruiting education from recruiting coordinator Mark Luszczynski. Players receive three Rapsodo sessions for data collection and video to share with coaches. Teams also compete in combines and tournaments that include college coaches in attendance.

Playing time is not equal or guaranteed. Players receive ample opportunities to earn roles and move around the lineup and defensively. We aim to have two or three players who can play each position.

We want players who are coachable, ready to compete, and good teammates. We value hard work, passion for the game, and a commitment to helping the team.

Teams practice 1–3 times per week, depending on the time of year and tournament schedule, primarily in Durham, Cary, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill. We also use our indoor facility in downtown Durham. Ages 10–12: practices begin in mid-January, with 5–7 tournaments in March–May; some teams continue into June. 13U summer: a light spring schedule with 1–2 March/April tournaments and 6–8 total tournaments ending in mid-July. Ages 14U–17U: a combined summer/fall season, with practices beginning after school ball in May; some teams have occasional off-season or spring weekend workouts. Expect 6–7 tournaments from June to early August and 3–4 from late August to early October, for 9–11 total. High school teams keep fall lighter to accommodate school sports and showcases. Fall 11U–14U: practices begin in August, with tournaments from late August through early November, depending on the team.

Costs vary by competition level, tournament type, roster size, and destination travel. Showcase-style tournaments cost more than local youth events. Typical ranges: 10U–12U: $1,000–$1,250 per season for 5–7 tournaments. 13U summer: $1,100–$1,400 for 6–8 tournaments. 14U combined summer/fall: $1,800–$2,400 for 9–11 tournaments, including 1–4 showcase-style events depending on the team. 15U combined summer/fall: $2,500–$3,000 for 9–11 tournaments, mostly showcase-style. 16U combined summer/fall: $2,800–$3,500 for 9–11 showcase-style tournaments; some showcases/combines include collegiate coaches. 17U combined summer/fall: $3,000–$3,800 for 9–11 showcase-style tournaments, with more travel and events that include college coaches. Confirm your team’s final schedule and fees before registering.

Our costs are higher than some but not as high as others. We pay our coaches so that is why our costs tend to be higher. We set a budget for each season by planning how many tournaments, the cost of the tournaments, and then divide the budget by how many players we have on the team.

Our goal is to have at least two coaches at every practice, if not 3. For older teams, we sometimes only have 1 coach at games depending on the tournament and team. For the younger teams, we try our best to have at least 2 coaches at the games.