Rawlings Tigers Promise Competition and Fun for Young Baseball Players

Our Daily Show Interview! Rawlings Tigers! Tryouts, Skills Camp, and More!

BETHALTO - Local kids have the opportunity to play competitive baseball with the Rawlings Tigers.

From 5–6 p.m. on July 1, 2025, 7u and 8u players can try out for the Rawlings Tigers team, followed by tryouts for 9u from 6–7 p.m., at the Bethalto Sports Complex. Coaches Frank Bock and Jake Zimmerman look forward to another great season of teaching the sport, fostering competition, and reminding kids to have fun.

“I think it’s a good opportunity for anybody seeking to take their game to the next level,” Bock said. “We’re looking to expand in this region and build multiple teams. We can help them train, educate and build their own individual game. Come out and see what it’s all about."

Bock explained that the Rawlings Tigers formed a club team in 2010 in St. Louis. Since then, the regional division has expanded to support 250 teams over 29 states.

Bock and Zimmerman are hoping to grow the Rawlings Tigers teams in the Riverbend/Southern Illinois region. Their teams are made up of kids from Bethalto, Jerseyville, Alton, Godfrey, Granite City and beyond, and they play in tournaments throughout the Midwest.

The coaches explained that the club teams are a step up from rec leagues, with more intense competition. They try to develop the kids into the best players they can be.

“We find those players and families and parents that want to challenge their kids, and, of course, the players themselves who want to push to develop,” Bock said. “That’s where we come in to foster that environment, to work to challenge these kids to be the best version of themselves.”

But they emphasized that baseball is “a game of failure,” and emotional regulation is as important as winning. They work hard with the kids, especially those on the younger 7u, 8u and 9u teams, to teach them the importance of sportsmanship and overcoming mistakes.

“A great player is defined by how much attitude and how much effort we’re going to put on each play,” Zimmerman said. “If we make a mistake, baseball is a game of failure, right? It’s how we respond. It’s how you respond to that next play. We keep our head up. Pick your teammates up. We preach that night and day to them. That’s not only just baseball; that’s life. How are we going to grow from that?”

After tryouts on July 1, practices start in September and continue until baseball season, which runs from March to June. Tryouts are completely free to attend, though registration is required. You can register online. Once your child makes the team, you’re looking at a $265 “Tiger fee” to participate.

Zimmerman noted that in addition to teaching the kids how to play, they’re also teaching them “how to fall in love with the game.” While the Rawlings Tigers encourage competition, they also hope the kids enjoy the sport. Bock and Zimmerman aim to help their kids grow as both players and people.

“You want to be competitive, you want to go out there and be successful, but you don’t want to take the fun out of it,” Bock added. “What we’ve seen is that whenever you focus on our core values and focus on those small details like attitude, effort, sportsmanship, good teamwork, sweeping the dugout — what ends up happening is that when you put all those things together, success follows.”

For more information about tryouts, including how to register, click here or visit the official Facebook event page. To learn more about Rawlings Tigers in Southern Illinois, visit their official Facebook page.

Print Version