Travel leagues are on fire in baseball these days. Two of the most successful are right here in AAU: the New England AAU Travel League and the East Shore Travel League in Connecticut!

The NEAAU Spring League grew to record numbers in 2013. More teams and players participated last season than ever before. The league offers three separate divisions based on a team’s level of play: Open, Super, and Diamond. Within these divisions are geographical groupings to help limit how far a team must travel. The league offers travel play for age groups 9U through Upperclassmen (18U). Each team is issued an on-line team page where they can add/edit their roster, schedule, and coaches’ info. Each page also includes their team logo, and all their scores.

In addition to outstanding league play, the New England AAU League provides league playoffs for its teams as well as numerous additional highly competitive tournaments. New for this year there is a point system for NEAAU Baseball tournaments and teams can track themselves and others on a new mobile app.

While the 9U through the 14U divisions are closed for registration for the 2014 season, there is still an opportunity to register for the 15U through 18U divisions through April 18.

As an AAU Baseball National League (AAUBNL), the NEAAU Travel League qualifies its participants for the AAU Baseball Grand Nationals at ESPN Wide World of Sports, and AAU Baseball Nationals at the Baltimore Orioles Complex in Sarasota.

For more information on the New England AAU Baseball Travel League, visit www.neaau.org, or to start your own travel league contact Debra Horn at the AAU National Office (407.828.3459, debra@aausports.org).

Another hugely successful AAU Baseball National League (AAUBNL) is Connecticut’s East Shore Travel League. This Connecticut-based league is having its league coaches’ meeting February 25 at the Best Western Hotel in North Haven, CT at 7:30p. 

The East Shore league offers age 8u through Upperclassmen (18U) with classifications including Local, Major, Elite, and Wood Bat. Depending on the age group and classification, the number of minimum games played will be between 12 and 35.

New for 2013 is the 8u Closed Base division, the 7-8u Kid and Coach Pitch division, and the 11u and 12u Wood Bat divisions.

There are a maximum number of teams each division can accept so you’ll want to register as quickly as possible.

In addition to this comprehensive league, East Shore Travel League will be offering a number of Super Regionals from March through the end of August. Super Regionals are qualifiers for the AAU  Baseball Grand Nationals at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Walt Disney World, and Nationals at the Baltimore Orioles’ complex in Sarasota, Florida.

For more information on the East Shore Travel League, visit http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=eastshoretravelleague.

If you are interested in starting an AAU league in your area, contact Ed Skovron (401.451.1999, oldpro77@msn.com) or Debra Horn (407.828.3459, debra@aausports.org).