Baseball Pregame Script: Minute-by-Minute Warmup Timeline (90 and 45 Minutes)

Every time below is our suggestion, built for a typical 9U to 14U travel team. Move blocks around to fit your field time and your league's rules. USA Baseball recommends a written plan with drills and time frames, posted where players can see it and shared with families ahead of time when possible [USA Baseball]. Print one, tape it to the dugout fence, and run it the same way every game.

Full: 75 to 90 min Short: 45 min Morning mantra Prep step Breathing reset Pitcher's reset Why no weighted or plastic balls?Arm care Sources Between pitches

FULL75 to 90 minutes before first pitch

T−90 means 90 minutes before first pitch. Our suggestion

T−9010 min	Arrive and set up Players arrive in full uniform, hydrated, with their own water bottle. Bags hung on the fence or lined up in the dugout, same order every game. Phones put away. Coach checks attendance, posts the timeline on the dugout fence, and checks in with today's starting pitcher and catcher. If you only have 75 minutes, start the script at T−75 and fold this into the first 2 minutes.
T−805 min	Huddle 1: here is the plan Optional: read the Ground Up Morning Mantra together, about 30 seconds. Our suggestion Two minutes, standing up. Today's one or two team goals (for example: throw strikes, win the first inning, run hard on every ball). Walk through the timeline so every player knows what comes next. No surprises, no standing around.
T−7512 min	Dynamic warmup The Ground Up 5-minute pre-practice mobility routine: moving drills only, no long stretch holds before play. Then 5 to 7 minutes of movement down the line and back: jog, high knees, butt kicks, skips, side shuffles, carioca, backpedal. Finish with 3 build-up sprints at about 60, 75 and 90 percent effort.
T−6313 min	Throwing progression Arm care activation first, if it is part of the player's routine (Arm Care Training): light bands or arm circles, a couple of minutes, nothing heavy. Partner catch starting close (about 30 to 45 feet) and stepping back slowly as the arm loosens. Distances depend on age; younger players stay shorter. Throw to a target (the partner's chest), and finish with quick-release throws back at the short distance. No max-effort long toss pregame. Today's starting pitcher only plays easy catch here and does a full warmup later.
T−5015 min	Defensive round: fungo round If you have the field, a coach hits fungos in a set order. Outfield first: left, center, right, each one throwing to a base or hitting the cutoff. Then infield around the horn, third to first: two balls each with a throw to first, then one turn with a throw to second. Catchers get a few throw-downs at the end. Prep step on every swing. Every fielder, not just the one getting the ball, takes the prep step timed to the fungo swing so they land balanced as the bat reaches the hitting zone. That is exactly how they time it to the pitch in the game (see the cue below). Quality over quantity: clean, controlled throws to the chest, no diving, and nobody chasing overthrows. A missed ball gets a fresh one from the bucket. No field time (common at tournaments)? Partner ground balls and fly balls in foul territory, still with a prep step on every toss.
T−3515 min	Hitting: tee and toss, no batting practice on the field Three stations, about 4 minutes each, then rotate on the coach's whistle: (1) tee work, a few swings each at the high, low, inside and outside spots (we like starting with the outside spot driven the other way and finishing inside); (2) soft toss or front toss into a net, with the last couple of swings as two-strike swings; (3) bunting and dry swings with the bat they will use today. Groups of 3 or 4 players. One swings, one feeds, the rest pick up and are next. Hunt one zone: call it before the round. The last swing is a good one. Players finish on a confident rep, then rack the bats in lineup order.
T−35~25 min	Starting pitcher and catcher (runs alongside hitting and the team talk) Starting about 25 to 30 minutes before first pitch: easy catch to warm up, then a gradual bullpen that builds from about half effort to game intensity. Mix in pitches from the windup and the stretch. Finish around T−8 so the pitcher is not standing cold. The catcher gears up early; the backup catcher or a coach catches the pen if the starting catcher is in the defensive round. Keep the pen to what the pitcher needs, not a set big number, and follow your league's rules on where pens are allowed.
T−155 min	Team talk The posted lineup and defensive positions, read out loud, plus who is ready to pitch in relief (within their rest days). From the dugout, size up the pitcher: fast, medium or slow? Signs review: offense and defense. USA Baseball recommends reviewing signs at every practice and especially before games [USA Baseball]. The plan: one offensive focus and one defensive focus for today. Effort and attitude are the things every player controls. Close it out together: Play Hard, Stay Grounded.
T−102 min (+1 optional)	Team breathing reset Everyone in a circle, standing tall. Follow the belly breathing reset below: about 6 slow breaths with a longer breath out. Optional: team prayer (about 1 minute). Only if the team and coaches want it, right after the breathing reset and before taking the field. Completely voluntary: players who do not join can take a quiet moment or keep breathing, and no one is pressured. Keep it short and respectful. Starting pitcher can join if the pen is done, or does the same reset on the mound before the first pitch. Remind everyone of the between-pitch routine: Plan, Flush, Breathe, Go.
T−88 min	Lineup and plan, final minutes Head coach takes the lineup card to the plate meeting, as the umpire or tournament runs it. Keep a copy in the dugout and with the scorekeeper and pitch counter. Bats and helmets lined up in batting order; first defensive group knows their spots. Water, bathroom, gloves on. Starting pitcher finishes the pen and stays warm. Be ready to sprint out on time.

Prep step on every pitch

A Ground Up coaching cue: every fielder, on every pitch, takes a small creep or split step and lands balanced, on the balls of the feet, as the ball crosses the hitting zone. We practice it on every fungo swing pregame so it is automatic by the first pitch. Coaches can check it from the dugout: are all nine landing on time? Our suggestion

Team breathing reset (2 to 3 minutes)

How: stand tall, one hand on the belly. Breathe in slowly through the nose for a count of 4 and let the belly push the hand out. Breathe out slowly through the mouth for a count of 6, like cooling soup. Do about 6 breaths, then one big team clap and break. Older players can try box breathing instead: in for 4, hold 4, out for 4, hold 4. Our suggestion

Why: a systematic review of slow breathing studies (under 10 breaths a minute) in healthy people found reports of more relaxation, comfort and alertness and less anxiety [Zaccaro et al. 2018]. Those studies were not done on young ballplayers, so think of it as a simple way to settle in and focus, not a treatment. Anyone who feels dizzy goes back to normal breathing.

Pitcher's reset between pitches

A Ground Up coaching cue: after each pitch, get the ball back, walk around to the back of the mound, take a moment, breathe, and tell yourself “Clear Eyes, Full Heart.” Then step back on the rubber.

Hitters: step out of the box, one slow breath, “Clear Eyes, Full Heart,” and step back in.

Keep it quick: some leagues use pitch clocks or limit stepping out of the box, so fit the reset into your rules. Our suggestion

Plan, Flush, Breathe, Go: the between-pitch routine

A Ground Up coaching cue, about 5 to 10 seconds between every pitch. Our suggestion

	Fielder	Hitter	Pitcher
Plan	Know the outs, the count and where you throw if it comes to you. Expect every ball.	Step out, check the coach, pick the one pitch you will swing at.	Get the sign, pick a small target in the glove.
Flush	Last play is over, good or bad. Pound the glove and let it go.	Last pitch is gone. Tap the plate, fresh count in your head.	Walk to the back of the mound: “Clear Eyes, Full Heart.”
Breathe	One slow breath: in through the nose, longer out through the mouth.
Go	Prep step on every pitch, then make the play.	Step in and swing with full commitment at your pitch.	Back on the rubber and commit to every throw.

Hitter mindset: be the one on the attack. Walk up with one simple plan and go after your pitch, instead of standing in there just hoping not to strike out. A strikeout swinging at your pitch is a good at-bat in our book. Our suggestion

It will not make anyone a better player overnight. It just gives kids the same simple habit every pitch, so a mistake does not snowball.

Why no weighted or plastic balls pregame?

That is a coach's choice, and here is ours. Pregame minutes are short, so we spend them on focused tee work (high, low, inside, outside) and soft toss that grooves the same swing the player will take in the game. Ten players chasing loose plastic balls around the outfield burns energy and adds needless risk of a tweak or collision right before first pitch. A tight rotation into a net looks and feels organized, and it tells everyone watching that this team showed up to work with a plan.

groundupbaseball.net/coaches/pregame-script/ · Times are Ground Up suggestions. Pitch counts and rest: Pitch Smart and your league rules. Play Hard, Stay Grounded.

SHORT45 minutes before first pitch

For back-to-back tournament games or late arrivals. Our suggestion

T−455 min	Arrive, set up, mini huddle Uniform on, bags in order, water out. Coach gives the one or two goals and the short timeline. Optional: read the Ground Up Morning Mantra together, about 30 seconds. Our suggestion
T−407 min	Dynamic warmup The 5-minute pre-practice mobility routine, then 2 build-up sprints.
T−338 min	Throwing progression Light arm care activation if it is part of the routine, then partner catch from short to medium distance and quick-release throws. No long toss. The starting pitcher plays easy catch only.
T−25~17 min	Starting pitcher and catcher (runs alongside the next blocks) Easy catch, then a short gradual bullpen from the windup and the stretch. Finish around T−8.
T−256 min	Defensive round: quick fungo round If you have the field: one fungo each to the outfielders (throw to the cutoff), then one ground ball each around the horn with a throw to first. Prep step on every swing, controlled throws, no diving. No field? Partner grounders with a prep step on every toss.
T−197 min	Tee and toss Two stations into nets, about 3 minutes each: tee at the high, low, inside and outside spots, and soft toss. Call your zone before each round.
T−124 min	Team talk Lineup and positions, signs review [USA Baseball], one offensive and one defensive focus. Size up the pitcher’s speed from the dugout. Play Hard, Stay Grounded.
T−82 min (+1 optional)	Team breathing reset About 6 slow belly breaths together, with a longer breath out (see the breathing reset). Optional: team prayer (about 1 minute). Only if the team and coaches want it, right after the breathing reset and before taking the field. Completely voluntary: players who do not join can take a quiet moment or keep breathing, and no one is pressured. Keep it short and respectful.
T−66 min	Lineup card and dugout set Plate meeting, bats and helmets in batting order, water, and the first defensive group ready to run out.

Between every pitch: Plan, Flush, Breathe, Go. Prep step on every pitch: every fielder lands balanced as the ball crosses the zone, practiced on every fungo swing. Pitcher's reset: after each pitch, ball back, walk to the back of the mound, breathe, “Clear Eyes, Full Heart,” back on the rubber. Hitters: step out, one slow breath, “Clear Eyes, Full Heart,” step back in. Ground Up coaching cue

Between tournament games, players who just played may only need a quick re-warm: the 5-minute routine, a short catch, and a few tee swings. Our suggestion

groundupbaseball.net/coaches/pregame-script/ · Times are Ground Up suggestions. Play Hard, Stay Grounded.

Arm care stays conservative

Pitch Smart counts the pitches thrown in the game [Pitch Smart]. Warmup throws, the bullpen and the defensive round are extra work on top of that, so keep them easy and purposeful: no max-effort long toss, no extra bullpens for players who pitched recently, and anyone with arm pain sits out of throwing and tells a parent. Players who threw a lot in a game yesterday get a light catch only. Rest days by age: ArmRules pitch count and rest calculator. Routines: Arm Care Training. Our suggestion

Weather and safety. If thunder is heard or lightning is seen, clear the field to a safe building or a fully enclosed metal vehicle right away and wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder or lightning; any new thunder or lightning restarts the 30 minutes [NFHS]. On hot days, start slow, drink water before players get thirsty, and stop anyone who feels faint or weak [CDC heat]. More in the new coach guide safety section.

Ground Up Morning Mantra Our suggestion

An optional read-together moment at the first huddle: one player leads, the team repeats each line. Print the landscape poster for the dugout or a bedroom wall.

Ground Up Baseball

Morning Mantra

I show up early and ready to work.
I hustle on every ball, in and out of the dugout.
Prep step on every pitch.
Plan it, flush it, breathe, go.
Clear Eyes, Full Heart.
My teammates can count on me.
Growth begins with gratitude.
Play Hard, Stay Grounded.

groundupbaseball.net/coaches

After the final out

The day ends with the postgame script: 10 minutes or less, positives first, the hustle standard, a gratitude cue, and players home on time.

Another team waiting? Grab all gear and clean the dugout first, then meet in the outfield.

Sources

Sources retrieved Oct 24, 2026. Everything marked Our suggestion (timings, drills, rotations, checklists and coaching opinions) is our own coaching advice, not a rule or a published prescription.

Pregame Script: Minute by Minute